Patent Application
20200074892
The present invention relates to three-dimensional attachments and, more particularly, to three-dimensional attachments that are secured to curved objects.
In one aspect of the present invention, a three-dimensional attachment comprises: at least one character comprising a front surface, a rear surface, and a depth extending from the front surface to the rear surface, wherein the depth of the at least one character varies such that the rear surface comprises a curve contouring to an outer surface of a curved object, and the front surface comprises a planar design.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of securing a three-dimensional attachment to a curved object comprises the steps of: providing the three-dimensional attachment comprising: at least one character comprising a front surface, a rear surface, and a depth extending from the front surface to the rear surface, wherein the depth of the at least one character varies such that the rear surface comprises a curve contouring to an outer surface of a curved object, and the front surface comprises a planar design, and attaching the rear surface of the at least one character to the outer surface of the curved object.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
The present invention includes a curved 3D art that attaches to a curved object, such as a cylinder or sphere. The curved 3D art may be made by using a 3D printer to create a silicone mold and than using the silicone mold to mass produced plastic molds. Using a strong adhesive, the 3D art is adhered to the curved object. The 3D art may include a print of company advertisement, logo, and the like. The curved object may include coconuts, cans, curved billboards, or any curved object.
Referring to
In certain embodiments, the at least one character 14 is a plurality of characters 14. In such embodiments, all of the designs on the front surfaces 15 of each of the characters 14 are planar. The planar design may include at least one of a text, a number, a logo, or a combination thereof.
As mentioned above, the three-dimensional attachment 10 is secured to a curved object 12. In certain embodiments, the rear surface of the characters 14 may include an adhesive 24 that couples the three-dimensional attachment 10 to the curved object 12. The curved object 12 may include a sphere shape, a cylinder shape, or a cone shape.
A method of securing a three-dimensional attachment to a curved object includes the steps of: providing the three-dimensional attachment described above; and attaching the rear surface of the at least one character to the outer surface of the curved object. The step of attaching the rear surface of the at least one character to the outer surface of the curved object includes adhering the rear surface of the at least one character to the outer surface of the curved object with an adhesive.
A method of making the present invention may include the following. Using a 3D printer program, measure the dimensions of the curved object and create a curved prototype file of the the three-dimensional attachment in physical form. A silicone mold cast is then printed using a 3D printer. Once printed, use the mold cast to make plastic three-dimensional attachments in bulk. For example, the mold cast is filled with a two-part plastic filling. Once the plastic filling is dry, the three-dimensional attachment is removed from the mold cast. A strong adhesive attaches the three-dimensional attachments to the curved object.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
