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This invention is in the field of social expression products such as paper cards, paper gifts, paper engineered decorations and paper pop-up items.
In accordance with the present disclosure and related inventions, a pop-up with slide lock mechanism is provided which moves between a first position, wherein the pop-up is in a flat, unfolded position, and a second position, wherein the pop-up is in an unfolded, upright or three-dimensional (3D) configuration by sliding one panel along part of the pop-up structure.
In one embodiment, a pop-up structure includes a main structure having four subpanels arranged in a square or rectangular arrangement; a roof structure comprising a panel with a bifurcating fold-line that creates a first subpanel and a second subpanel, the first subpanel having two parallel elongate slots thereon; and a faux roof panel attached to the main structure and to a portion of the first subpanel of the roof structure between the two elongate slots thereon. The faux roof panel can slide along the portion of the first subpanel of the roof structure between the two elongate slots on first subpanel or the roof structure and movement of the faux roof panel overtop the first subpanel of the roof structure along the two parallel elongate slots, causes the pop-up structure to move from a first position, wherein the pop-up structure is in a folded, substantially flat configuration, and a second position, wherein the pop-up structure is in an unfolded, upright configuration.
In another embodiment, a pop-up structure includes a main structure having an open top and four sides; a roof structure having a first panel and a second panel arranged in a pitched or A-line configuration, the roof structure attached to a top surface of the main structure forming a closed-top main structure, where the first panel of the roof structure having two elongate spaced apart slots thereon; and a faux roof panel having a open loop on an inside surface thereof which is wrapped around the portion of the first panel of the roof structure that is located between the two elongate spaced apart slots. The pop-up structure can move between a first position, wherein the pop-up structure is in a substantially flat, folded configuration and a second position, wherein the pop-up structure is in an unfolded, upright configuration, by sliding the faux roof panel along the two elongate spaced-apart slots on the first panel of the roof structure.
And in still another embodiment, a pop-up structure includes a four-paneled main structure; a two-paneled roof structure attached atop the four-paneled main structure, one of the panels of the two-paneled roof structure having two horizontal slots thereon; and a faux roof panel that is slidably attached to a portion of the two-paneled roof structure between the two horizontal slots. The pop-up structure moves between a substantially flat, folded position and an unfolded, three-dimensional configuration by sliding the faux roof panel along the two horizontal slots on the two-paneled roof structure.
The pop-up with slide lock mechanism of the present disclosure and related inventions, is designed to be stored in a substantially flat, folded position and is operable to move from the substantially flat, folded position to an upright, unfolded position with a slide lock mechanism that moves the pop-up between the folded and unfolded positions and maintains the pop-up in the upright, unfolded position for display upon a tabletop or other flat surface. The pop-up does not rely on any stand or base structure to maintain the unfolded, upright, display position.
In an exemplary embodiment, the pop-up with slide lock mechanism is a displayable item or, in one embodiment, as shown in the figures, a paper-engineered miniature house that may be a stand-alone display or may be part of a larger set of pop-up items, such as a Christmas village scene. However, the pop-up with slide lock mechanism of the present disclosure and related inventions can be any type of paper-engineered pop-up item, such as, for example, a church, a skyscraper, a barn, or any other conceivable structure.
The components of the pop-up include various die-cut pieces which are assembled together to form a particular configuration, which is, in this example, a paper-engineered miniature house. The die-cut pieces are strategically assembled by folding and interlocking and/or gluing the various die cut pieces together. The resulting pop-up is operative to move between a first position, wherein it is folded into a substantially flat configuration, and a second position, wherein it is unfolded into an unfolded, upright, three-dimensional (3D) configuration. The slide lock element enables both movement of the pop-up between the first and second positions and allows the pop-up to be self-maintained in the second, unfolded, upright, 3D configuration without the use of any outside tool or base element. The slide-lock is also hidden from view when the pop-up is in the second position. The components or die-cut shapes/pieces of the pop-up include, but are not limited to a main structure (house walls) 10, a roof structure 12, a faux roof panel 14, an internal structure 16, various mounting tabs T, and various auxiliary die-cut shapes/pieces M.
The main structure 10 represent the four (4) outer walls of the pop-up, as shown in
Another component of the pop-up 100 is the roof structure 12, shown in
A faux roof panel 14, as shown in
An internal structure 16, as shown in
To assemble the pop-up 100, the main components—the main structure 10 (
The four (4) panels of the main structure 10 are assembled by folding the panels 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D along fold lines F1, F2, F3, and F4. The four (4) panels will eventually be closed to create, a four (4) sided structure (with open top) by attaching subpanel 10B to subpanel 10D via mounting tab T1.
The roof structure 12 is folded along fold line F6 to create an A-line shape which resembles a pitched roof. The roof structure 12 will eventually be attached to the main structure 10 by attaching the outer surface of mounting tab T2 (on the main structure 10) to the inside surface (at a lower edge thereof) to the first roof panel 12A (to be discussed in further detail below).
The faux roof panel 14, as noted above, contains a second flange 14C which is folded over fold line F8 to lie atop and attach to the main faux roof panel 14A. The first flange 14B then gets folded over the second flange 14C. The second flange 14C contains a tab 14D at one end with two (2) minor fold lines F9, F10 which creates three (3) subpanels 14D1, 14D2, 14D3. Subpanels 14D1 and 14D2 are folded along fold lines F9 and F10 respectively, however they are not attached to one another until they are wrapped around the first flange 14B and the portion of roof panel 12B that is located between the slots S located thereon.
The internal structure 16 is assembled by folding the serpentine panel 16B along the various fold lines, forming a particular serpentine shape that, when fully assembled, extends between the walls of the main structure 10 and attaches the main structure 10 to the central panel 16A of the internal structure 16. To configure the serpentine panel 16B for attachment to the central panel 16A and insertion into the main structure 10, mounting tab 16B1 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a first vertical direction along fold line F13 such that support panel 16B8 is perpendicular to the central panel 16A; support panel 16B8 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a first horizontal direction along fold line F14 such that mounting tab 16B2 is parallel to the central panel 16A; mounting tab 16B2 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a second vertical direction along fold line F15 such that support panel 16B9 is perpendicular to the central panel 16A; support panel 16B9 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a first horizontal direction along fold line F16 such that mounting tab 16B3 is parallel to the central panel 16A; mounting tab 16B3 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a first vertical direction along fold line F17 such that support panel 16B10 is perpendicular to the central panel 16A; support panel 16B10 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a first horizontal direction along fold line F18 such that mounting tab 16B4 is parallel to the central panel 16A; mounting tab 16B4 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a second vertical direction such that support panel 16B11 is perpendicular to the central panel 16A; support panel 16B11 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a first horizontal direction such that mounting panel 16B5 is parallel to the central panel 16A; mounting panel 16B5 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a second vertical direction such that support panel 16B12 is perpendicular to the central panel 16A; support panel 16B12 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a first horizontal direction such that mounting tab 16B6 is parallel to the central panel 16A; mounting tab 16B6 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a second vertical direction such that support tab 16B13 is perpendicular to the central panel 16A; support tab 16B13 is folded approximately 90-degrees in a first horizontal direction such that mounting tab 16B7 is parallel to the central panel 16A. As noted above, each of the interface panels 16B14-16B19 on the serpentine panel 16 are at least partially attached to a support panel 16B8-16B13 along angled fold lines F25-F30. Each pair of interface panels that are positioned between the same mounting panel are folded toward one another into a substantially A-line configuration.
After assembling, or partially assembling, where necessary, each individual component, the components must be combined to form the pop-up 100.
Once the serpentine panel 16B has been configured, mounting panels 16B1, 16B3, 16B5, and 16B7 are glued to the central panel 16A and the mounting panels 16B2, 16B4, and 16B6 are glued to subpanel 10C of the main structure 10. Subpanel 16A2 of the central panel 16A is folded approximately 90-degrees such that it is perpendicular to subpanel 16A1 and subpanel 16A3 is folded approximately 90-degrees such that it is perpendicular to subpanel 16A1. Subpanels 16A2 and 16A are glued to subpanels 10A and 10B of the main structure 10 respectively.
As mentioned above, subpanels 14D1 and 14D2 of the faux roof panel 14 are folded along fold lines F9 and F10 respectively. Subpanels 14D1 and 14D2 are then inserted into the slots S located on the second roof panel 12B, forming a loop around the portion of the second roof panel 12B, located between the two slots S (and the first flange 14B of the faux roof panel 14). Now the faux roof panel 14 is positioned directly atop the second roof panel 12B and it can slide (via the loop) along the length of the slots S on the second roof panel 12B.
The roof structure 12 (with faux roof panel 14 attached thereto) can now be attach directly to the main structure 10 by gluing the outer surface of mounting tab T2 (on the fourth panel 10D of the main structure 10) to an inside surface (at a lower edge thereof) of the first roof panel 12A.
The main structure 10 can also be closed (forming a substantially rectangular four (4) panel wall structure) by gluing mounting tab T1 to the inside surface of rear panel 10D.
In addition to the main components of the with slide lock 100 of the present disclosure and related inventions, the pop-up 100 may also contain minor components which make the pop-up 100 more dimensional. For example, a fence panel 18 can also be included in the pop-structure, as shown in
Another auxiliary component of the pop-up structure is a door structure 20, as shown in
In operation, the pop-up with slide lock 100 of the present disclosure and related inventions begins in a first position, wherein it is in a substantially flat, folded configuration, as shown in
While this disclosure has used the term “glued” to describe how the various tabs and panels are attached, other attachment means may be used and still remain within the scope of this invention. Specific panels, tabs, cut-outs, fold lines and attachment points are also described herein with respect to the example embodiment, however, tabs, panels and fold lines may be in different quantities, shape, and positions than disclosed herein and still remain within the spirit of the invention.
The foregoing embodiments of the present invention are presented herein for the purposes of illustration and description. These descriptions and embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principle of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in its various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the invention be defined by the following claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20240071258 A1 | Feb 2024 | US |