GB2227419A

GB2227419A - Foam articles

Info

Publication number: GB2227419A
Application number: GB8901553A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence Arthur Bubear; David James Lacey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-01-25
Filing date: 1989-01-25
Publication date: 1990-08-01
Anticipated expiration: 2009-01-25
Also published as: GB8901553D0; GB2227419B

Abstract

The invention provides a sheet of polymer foam material (3) having a playing surface (1) printed with a checker-board pattern, the sheet having at opposite ends eight circular through apertures produced by punching cut-outs into the polymer sheet. There is also a square through cut-out for receiving a dice (6). Circular counters 2 are provided which are snuggly receivable in the circular apertures punched in the sheet (3). The counters 2 may be produced as the waste from punching the apertures in the sheet (3). In order to produce the darker coloured counters on the right-hand side of the figure, the sheet (3) may be printed with circular counter shapes before cutting. The sheet (3) is punched with holes (7) so that it may be fitted into a ring-binder or hung on a wall. The playing pieces are removable by pressing out from the sheet, can be used to play a game and may then be replaced in their storage apertures when not required. Other uses of the foam articles are puzzles, jig-saw puzzles, displays such as wall charts, signs and perpetual calendars, toys such as toy shops and market stalls, and clothes such as hats, gloves and jackets. The pieces may be electrically conductive to close a circuit and indicate the end of a game. <IMAGE>

Description

FOAM ARTICLES The present invention relates to foam articles and in particular to foam articles removably held in apertures or recesses in a sheet.

Many articles comprise a surface upon which playing pieces, markers or other articles are positioned in use.

Examples are boardgame apparatus, childrens tray puzzles and magnetic wall charts.

Generally, when the pieces are not in use they must be stored separately from the surface on which they are placed in use.

In the case of articles like jig-saws, one has once again the problem of storing a number of pieces, although not usually in combination with a playing surface.

One known method of storage for articles is to place them in cut-outs of appropriate size and shape in a sheet of foam. Such a method is for instance frequently used in storing photographic apparatus in carrying cases. Generally, the cut-outs bear only a rough correspondence to the shape of the article to be received. The foam sheet in which the articles are stored of course plays no part in the actual use of the articles.

The present invention provides an article cut from a sheet of polymer foam material and removably held or holdable in a through or blind cut-out aperture of corresponding plan configuration in a sheet of polymer foam material, wherein the article and or the cut-out sheet have indicia thereon.

Embodiments of articles of the kind described above may be of many different kinds and for serving many different purposes.

The cut-cut sheet of polymer foam material which receives the articles may be for the purpose of storage only, providing a convenient means of storing the article or of storing a plurality of articles.

Alternatively, the cut-out sheet and the article or articles stored therein may be for use in combination when the article or articles are removed.

The cut-out sheet may itself be formed into or incorporated in a useful article of any kind.

These concepts will be further explained and exemplified below.

The article or articles which are held or are holdable in the cut-out sheet may be produced by cutting through apertures in the cut-out sheet or in a similar sheet. In this case, they will be receivable directly in the corresponding aperture or apertures in the cut-out sheet just completely filling the same.

Blind apertures in the cut-out sheet may be conveniently produced by cutting through apertures in a first sheet of polymer foam material and laminating the same to a second sheet of polyer foam material in which there are no corresponding cut-out apertures.

The polymer foam material employed in accordance with the invention is preferably synthetic plastics foam although it may be natural rubber foam.

Preferably, closed cell foam is used so as to provide articles which recover well from being crushed.

Suitable polymer materials includes polyethylene and polyethylene vinylacetate copolymers. The preferred material for use is a polyethylene vinylacetate copolymer such as Evazote (Evazote is a Tade Mark of BXL Plastics Limited).

The foam article or articles received in the foam sheet may if desired be provided with handle means to assist removal.

In one preferred type of embodiment, the article forms part of game appartus. Preferably, the cut-out sheet also forms part of the same game apparatus.

Accordingly, in a preferred aspect the invention provides game appartus comprising a sheet of polymer foam material providing a playing surface and having a plurality of through or blind cut-out apertures therein, and a plurality of playing pieces cut from polymer foam material, each received removably for storage in a said aperture and having a corresponding plan configuration thereto, wherein the playing surface and some or all of the pieces have play indicia thereon.

The cut-out sheet may constitute a playing board for use in a boardgame, the pattern of the board being printed on the cut-out sheet. The playing pieces may be printed also.

Other examples of game apparatus of this kind include tray puzzles in which the cut-out sheet constitutes the tray, and preferably has blind rather than through apertures, and the playing pieces are puzzle pieces insertable in corresponding apertures in the tray.

The invention however embraces game apparatus in which the cut-out sheet is not employed when playing with the playing pieces in its broader aspects. It includes therefore for example jig-saw puzzles in which the playing pieces are storable in a cut-out sheet but are removed from the cut-out sheet and assembled together during play.

In a second preferred aspect, the invention includes display apparatus comprising a sheet of polymer foam material providing a display surface and having a plurality of through or blind cut-out apertures therein, together with a plurality of indicator pieces each cut from a sheet of polymer foam material and each held or holdable in a said aperture of corresponding plan configuration in the display surface of said sheet, the said display surface and/or at least some of the pieces having indicia thereon. Such display apparatus will include wall charts, year planners, signs, and perpetual calendars.

The invention will be further described and illustrated by the following description of the preferred embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of game apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention, --Figure 2 is a perspective view of a modified form of the apparatus of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a further modified version of the apparatus of Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a still further modified version of the apparatus of Figure 2.

In Figure 1 there is seen a sheet of polymer foam material 3 having a playing surface 1 printed with a checker-board pattern.

At opposite ends of the sheet there are provided eight circular through apertures produced by punching cut-outs into the polymer sheet.

At the right-hand end of the playing surface there is provided a square through cut-out for receiving a die 6.

Circular counters 2 are provided which are snuggly receivable in the circular apertures punched in the sheet 3. The counters 2 may be produced as the waste from punching the apertures in the sheet 3. In order to produce the darker coloured counters on the right-hand side of the figure, the sheet 3 may be printed with circular counter shapes before cutting.

Alternatively, the counters may be stamped out of a second sheet of foam material, preferably of the same thickness as the sheet 3.

Even the die 6 may be stamped out of foam material although it may be conventional.

The sheet 3 is punched with holes 7 so that it may be fitted into a ring-binder or the like or hung on a wall.

The playing pieces are conveniently removable by pressing out from the sheet, can be used to play a game and may then be replaced in their storage apertures when not required.

Different patterns may be printed on opposite sides of sheet 3 and/or of the counters 2 to enable different games to be played with the same apparatus.

Unlike conventional playing boards, the foam "board" 3 can be rolled or folded for easy transportation.

In the modification shown in Figure 2, the die and its aperture are omitted.

In the modification shown in Figure 3, the sheet 3 is produced by laminating together by the use of adhesive two thinner sheets 4 of polymer foam material of different colours. Playing pieces 5 are cut from a two-layer polymer sheet made in the same way. The two players can use identical playing pieces, one player using them the other way up from those of his opponent.

All the playing pieces can therefore be cut directly from sheet 3.

In a further modification shown in Figure 4, a sheet 10 similar to sheet 3 of Figure 1 is affixed to a sheet 9 of corresponding size so as to produce a composite sheet 3 providing â playing surface having blind apertures for receiving the playing pieces 2.

Naturally, in a further modification of what is shown in Figure 4, the sheet 9 may itself have a different pattern of cut-out apertures and different playing pieces together with a different printing pattern on its bottom face for playing an entirely separate game on the reverse side of the sheet 3.

A tray puzzle may be constructed in the same way as the boardgame shown in Figure 2 except that the playing pieces themselves are printed with pictures and are appropriately shaped and in that the cut-outs in which they are receivable occupy more of the area of the sheet 3 and of course are shaped to match respective pieces.

A modified version of such a tray puzzle may be produced by making the apertures blind in the same way as is illustrated in Figure 4.

A jig-saw puzzle may be produced generally in the same way as illustrated in Figure 1 except that the playing pieces 2 are appropriately shaped and printed and are interconnectable to form a completed puzzle either on the area occupied by the checker-board in Figure 1 or on any other convenient surface.

In a childs jig-saw puzzle, it may be desired to print in the area occupied by the checker-board in Figure 1 a depiction of the exact picture revealed by the correct assembly of the jig-saw pieces.

Display apparatus according to the invention may be constructed using the same principles described in connection with the game apparatus illustrated.

In a further variation according to the invention, the game apparatus or display apparatus may be incorporated in some other article.

Such games or display apparatus can be constructed as garments such as hats, gloves or jackets. Articles of clothing generally and other functional articles generally may be produced incorporating an article, display apparatus or game apparatus according to the invention.

For instance, game apparatus similar to that shown in Figure 1 may be incorporated into the peak of a hat, the peak being made of the foam plastics sheet 3.

In a further variation according to the invention, the cut-out pieces of foam constituting the playing pieces or indicator pieces may be of electrically conductive foam and the arrangement may be such that they complete electrical circuits to cause lights, sounders or other electrically generated-output during the course of use, for instance at the end of a game to signify the winner or loser.

The same concept may be applied to movable playing pieces such that touching pieces- can complete an electrical circuit, for instance to produce a signal.

A wide range of toys may be produced which constitute articles- in accordance with the invention.

For instance, a play-shop-may be envisaged in which numerous articles are depicted in the form of printed - -cut-out polymer foam shapes received in corresponding apertures in a polymer foam sheet representing a shop- counter, display, market stall or the like.

It is an advantage of the embodiments specifically described above that they are particularly simple to manufacture,.generally'requiring only two stages of manufacture ';.%- name ly- --pr i -cutting, optionally with assembly. Generally speaking, boxing and packaging will not be required since the product is self-contained and self-supporting. -}-- - Whilst the present invention has.been described with reference to the illustra embodiments, it should be understood that it is not limited thereto and that many variations and modifications thereof are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An. article cut, from, a sheet of polymer foam material and removably held or holdable in a through or blind cut-out aperture of corresponding plan configuration in a sheet of polymer foam material, the article and or the cut-out sheet having. indicia thereon.

2. An-article according to Claim 1, - produced by cutting through apertures in the cut-out sheet or in a similar sheet.

3. An article according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which blind apertures in cut-out sheet are produced by cutting through apertures in a.first sheet of polymer foam material and laminating the-same-to a second sheet. of polymer foam material in which there are no corresponding-cut-out eçertures.

4. An articleaccording to any preceding Claim, the polymer foam material-coprising synthetic plastic foam or natural rubber foam.

5. An article according to,,Clailm 4, the foam comprising a closed cell foam.

6. An article according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, the polymer cortprising polyethylene and polyethylene vinylacetate copolymers.

7. An article according to -.any preceding Claim, comprising handle means to assist removal fran the foam sheet.

8. Apparatus for playing a game, comprising a sheet of polymer foam material providing a playing surface and having a plurality of through or blind cut-out apertures therein, and a plurality of playing pieces cut from polymer foam material, each received re removably for storage in a said aperture and having a corresponding plan configuration thereto, wherein the playing surface and some or all of the pieces have play indicia thereon.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, the cut-out sheet comprising a playing board for use in a board game, the pattern of the board comprising the indicia and being printed on the cut-out sheet.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 9, the indicia on the playing pieces being printed.

11. Apparatus according to any of Claims 8 to 10, comprising a tray puzzle in which the cut-out sheet constitutes the tray which has blind apertures, the playing pieces comprising puzzle pieces insertable in corresponding apertures in the tray.

12. Apparatus according to any of Claims 8 to 10, comprising a j ig-saw puzzle in which the playing pieces are storable in a cutout sheet but are removed from the cut-out sheet and assembled together separately therefrom during play.

13. Display apparatus, carprising a sheet of polymer foam material providing a display surface and having a plurality of through or blind cut-out apertures therein, together with a plurality of indicator pieces each cut from a sheet of polymer foam material and each held or holdable in a said aperture of corresponding plan configuration in the display surface of said sheet, the said display surface and/or at least some of the pieces having indicia thereon.

14. Display apparatus according to Claim 13, comprising a wall chart or calendar.

15. Display apparatus according to Claim 13 or Claim 14, comprising at least part of an item of headgear or a garment.

16. An article or apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.