Patent Application
20080015037
The following detailed description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
One embodiment of the present invention concerns a device and a method for providing an illusion of damaged or destroyed scenery by using a material that is deformed by the use of a vacuum or low-pressure pump.
As part of the disclosure hereof, the term scenery is intended to broadly refer to any article, item, equipment, property, or prop that is movable or stationary and used in a theatrical performance, show, video or movie presentation. Transformable refers to that which is changeable from one outward appearance to another outward appearance.
Referring now to
The front portion 18 comprises conventional headlights 34 and wheels 36 and, in accordance with a feature of the present invention, at least one portion 38 of the shell 12 that is configured to be transformable from one outward appearance to another outward appearance (shown in
As illustrated, the portion 38 comprises a bladder 40 that is supported by a shaped surface 42. The bladder 40 comprises a flexible material, such as a polyester film, e.g., that sold under the mark MYLAR, a polypropylene, a soft polyethylene, a polyamide such as a nylon, a polyurethane, a latex and a rubber or some combination thereof such as a nylon shell with an additional inner MYLAR bladder, that is capable of being coated with, e.g., a paint or other pigmented material to match the color and/or other overall scheme of the shell 12. The bladder 40 has a cavity (not shown) that may be expanded or contracted via the use of a fluid, e.g., a gaseous medium such as air supplied by an air compressor 44 and a vacuum or low pressure pump 46 and communicated to the bladder via a tube network 48. In an optional embodiment, a reversible pump may be employed instead of the separate air compressor and vacuum pump 46.
In another optional embodiment, the air compressor 44 and air vacuum 46 may be located within the shell 12 rather than outside thereof as shown. For example, the compressor 44 and pump 46 can be hidden from view within the shell 12 so that the scenery 10 is self-contained and thus also may be movable. In a further optional embodiment, the gaseous medium employed is nitrogen or helium instead of air. In another optional embodiment, the air compressor 44 or low pressure pump 46 provides a variable pumping rate to provide for a slow rate of pressure change within the bladder 40. This may be advantageous to provide a “slow motion” effect where the bladder slowly deflates or inflates to change the appearance of the scenery 10. Further, the variable rate could be utilized to begin transforming the scenery 10 at a first rate, followed by at least one other rate of transformation until the transformation is complete.
The shaped surface 42, in this embodiment, comprises an irregular, jagged, non-uniform shape in cross section to create a damaged-like appearance. The shaped surface 42 comprises in various optional embodiments a metallic material, a molded polymeric substance such as another bladder having a fluid disposed therein, discrete frame elements and any of the foregoing materials including perforations. The shaped surface 42 comprises apertures 50, 52 and 54 through which the tube network 48 extends.
Referring now also to
Upon the desire to create another outward appearance of the portion 38 of the shell 12, which in this embodiment is a simulated damaged configuration, the air compressor 44 may be switched “off” whereupon the air vacuum 46 creates a low pressure for the air, represented by arrows 60, to escape from the bladder 40 which may then collapse to a contracted position, revealing the configuration of the shaped surface 42. It will be appreciated that an intermediate lower pressure level of air may be maintained to prevent the bladder 40 from completely collapsing. This may be advantageous with a particular scenery 10 (not shown) where a “ripple effect” may be desired.
Another embodiment of a portion 138 of a transformable scenery is illustrated in cross section in
The sheet 141 extends beyond outer edges 162 and 164 of the shaped surface 142 into opposing cavities 166 and 168. As shown the sheet 141 is biased by springs 170 and 172 to create tension and the first outward appearance, which in this embodiment, is a simulated undamaged configuration. It will be appreciated that a single or multiple springs and cavities may be employed in the practice of this invention.
Gaskets 174 and 176 are provided for creating a seal. The shaped surface 142 comprises a similar material to that of the shaped surface 42 described above and comprises an aperture 152. A tube 148 is connected at one end to the aperture 152 and at the other is connected with an air vacuum 146. In an optional embodiment the shaped surface comprises a wire mesh.
Referring now to
While the present invention has been described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to these herein disclosed embodiments. Rather, the present invention is intended to cover all of the various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
