BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows the cross section through a first exemplary embodiment of a viewing device of the invention, taken along the line marked I-I in FIG. 2;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the viewing device shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows the cross section through the back wall of a second exemplary embodiment of a viewing device of the invention, with a winding device for a striplike object on view;
FIG. 4 is a cross section through a third exemplary embodiment, designed in the form of an advertising column, of a viewing device of the invention;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section through a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which an LCD screen is used for displaying objects on view;
FIG. 6 shows a first cardboard blank for producing a viewing device of the invention, in the unfolded state;
FIGS. 7 and 8 show the front and back sides, respectively, of the viewing device that results once the cardboard blank shown FIG. 5 has been folded up;
FIG. 9 shows a second blank, as an insertion part for the viewing device that can be made from the blank shown in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a variable viewing device, in the viewing state held in the hand of an observer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In FIGS. 1 and 2, a viewing device of the invention is identified by reference numeral 1, and it includes a housing 2, for instance of plastic, with a curved front wall 3 and a curved back wall 4 that are joined together along side edges 5, 6. The front wall 3, curved toward the observer 7, has an outer face 100 and includes a viewing opening 8, which can for instance be protected by a transparent covering (not shown).
The back wall 4 of the housing 2 has an inner face 9, curved away from the observer 7, to which a two-dimensional object on view 10 (for instance a photograph) is interchangeably secured; the side edges 11 of this object are located outside the field of view 12 of the observer 7 who is just then looking through the viewing opening 8.
The object on view 10 can be illuminated by a light source 13, located below the viewing opening 8 and secured to the back wall 4 of the housing 2.
In FIG. 3, the back wall, also identified by reference numeral 4, of a second exemplary embodiment of a viewing device of the invention is shown. In this viewing device, a winding device comprising two coils 14, 15 is located on the back wall. A striplike object on view 16 can be unwound from and onto the coils 14, 15 and this object is guided between the coils 14, 15 by a transparent guide plate 17.
FIG. 4 shows the cross section through a viewing device 20 designed as an advertising column. This device substantially comprises a front wall 21, embodied as a hollow cylinder, and a rotatable back wall 22, located in the interior of the hog 21 and also embodied as a cylinder. The front wall 21 has four viewing openings 23, distributed uniformly over the circumference.
Four objects on view 24 (which are for instance interchangeable) are secured to the back wall 22 and are movable with the rotating back wall 22 past the viewing openings 23.
In the version of a viewing device 1′ of the invention shown in FIG. 5, a portion of the inner face 9′ of the back wall 4′ is embodied as an LCD screen 101, on which the objects on view can be displayed. The electronic unit 102 required for triggering this LCD screen 101 is located inside the housing-shaped back wall 4′ of the viewing device 1′. The viewing opening 8′ contained in the front wall 33 is closed, in the exemplary embodiment shown, by a transparent covering 103.
FIG. 6 shows a cardboard blank, identified by reference numeral 25, of corrugated cardboard for producing the housing 26 of a viewing device 27 of the invention, and in the folded state it has a shape (of oval cross section) that essentially corresponds to FIGS. 1 and 2. The blank 25 includes a first portion 29, provided with a viewing opening 28 and forming the front wall of the housing 26 of the viewing device 27. The two transverse sides 30, 31 of the first portion are adjoined by a second portion 32 and a third portion 33 which form the back wall of the viewing device 27, and the connecting edges 30′, 31′ of the portions 29, 32 and 29, 33 form the folding lines for folding the cardboard blank 25.
The second portion 32 includes the inner face 34 that carries the object on view (not shown), and the third portion 33 serves to reinforce and fix the second portion 32 and can be connected to it by nonpositive engagement via two hook-and-loop closure regions 35.
For forming the oval bottom region 36 of the housing 26, the first portion 29 of the blank 25 is joined at its underside 37, via a straight folding line 38, to a fourth portion 39. This fourth portion, approximately at a spacing that corresponds to the maximum spacing of the front and back walls of the housing 26 to be made, has a folding line 40, so that after the folding operation, the outer peripheral region 41 of the fourth portion 39 is braced on the second portion 32. Between the folding lines 38 and 40, an oval region 43 defined entirely by a folding line 42 is provided, which is selected such that after the folding operation, the oval bottom region 36 is the result, which is recessed somewhat compared to the lower edges of the front and back sides of the housing.
As can be seen from FIG. 6, the second portion 32 is defined at the top by an oval region 45, which is defined by a folding line 44 and which in the folded state of the blank forms the top region of the housing, in such a way that the top region 45 rises slightly obliquely from the back wall 32, 33 to the front wall 29 (FIG. 8).
In each of the second, third and fourth portions 32, 33 and 39, there is also a respective opening 46 through which a lamp socket (not shown) can be passed partway, so that in the folded state of the blank, the lamp socket can be screwed to a nut part (not shown), for instance toward the lamp, and the three portions 32, 33 and 39 are held together not only by the hook-and-loop closure regions 35, but also and above all by the lamp socket.
To enable quickly replacing an object on view and to enable varying the curvature of the inner face of the back wall, an additional insertion part may be used, which is braced on the second portion of the blank via suitable peripheral support regions. A corresponding blank for this insertion part can be found in FIG. 9 and is identified by reference numeral 50. The inner face is identified there by reference numeral 51, and the bracing regions, offset via folding lines 52-56, are identified by reference numerals 57-61. This insertion part 50, too, can be joined by nonpositive engagement to the three portions 12, 33 and 39 of the first blank 25 via the aforementioned lamp socket and likewise has an opening 46 for this purpose.
Finally, in FIG. 10, a variable viewing device 1 is also shown which originally had the form of a two-dimensional card-like envelope, but which in the observer's hand, by being pressed together at the connecting lines of the front and back walls 3, 4, has been converted from an originally flat state (the state of repose) to a viewing state, Both the front and back walls 3, 4 are made to bulge out in the process and together form a housing 2, with the effects that have already been described above for viewing devices with a fixed housing. For maintaining the viewing state shown, a persistent exertion of force is needed, as symbolized by the arrows K. Other viewing states (as a consequence of greater or lesser curvature) can be established by changing (increasing/lessening) the force expended.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
1, 1′ Viewing device
2 Housing
3, 3′ Front wall
4, 4′ Back wall
5, 6 Side edges
7 Observer
8, 8′ Viewing opening
9, 9′ Inner face
10 Object on view
11 Side edges (of object on view)
12 Field of view
13 Light source
14, 15 Coils
16 Object on view
17 Guide plate
20 Viewing device
21 Front wall, hollow cylinder
22 Back wall
23 Viewing opening
24 Object on view
25 (First) blank, cardboard blank
26 Housing
27 Viewing device
28 Viewing opening
29 First portion, front wall
30, 31 Transverse sides
30′, 31′ Connecting edges, side edges
32 Second portion, back wall
33 Third portion, back wall
34 Inner face
35 Hook-and-loop closure region
36 Bottom region
37 Underside
38 Folding line
39 Fourth portion
40 Folding line
41 Peripheral region
42 Folding line
43 Oval region
44 Folding line
45 Oval region, top region
46 Opening
50 (Second) blank
51 Inner face
52-56 Folding lines
57-61 Bracing regions
100 Outer face
101 LCD screen
102 Electronic unit
103 Transparent covering
- K Arrow, force arrow
Patent Application
20080092416
