US 4,788,109 A · Three-dimensional display device folded from a single sheet of material

Abstract

A decorative display device which is capable of being folded from a relatively flat single sheet of material into a three-dimensional object. The sheet of material is embossed on its flat front face such that embossed segments project outwardly beyond the surface of the sheet with respect to non-embossed segments. In one embodiment, the sheet of material can serve as a poster or similar single sheet art decorative item. When folded and properly assembled, the sheet becomes a three-dimensional display device with embossed segments projecting beyond the non-embossed segments. A design on the face of the sheet cooperates with the segments such that the design on the flat sheet is re-created when the sheet is folded into a three-dimensional display device. Thus, the surface contour of the device conforms to and cooperates with the design on the sheet of material. In a preferred embodiment, a flag having a plurality of stripes may constitute the design on the sheet of material, and when folded into the three-dimensional display device, the stripes co-act with the embossed and non-embossed segments.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A decorative display device having a design on a face thereof capable of use as a relatively flat suspendable poster and capable of being folded to a three-dimensional display object, said display device comprising:

(a) a flat sheet of foldable material initially having a front face with upper and lower edges and a pair of spaced apart side edges,
(b) a design on the front face allowing the device to be suspended in the position of a poster and said design being characterized by a plurality of individual design elements, and some of said design elements being generally horizontally extending design elements,
(c) a plurality of first fold lines extending across said sheet generally between said spaced apart side edges forming individual segments which extend between said side edges and at least certain of said segments being generally horizontally extending and corresponding to certain of the individual design elements,
(d) embossed portions on certain of said horizontally extending individual segments and which portions extend outwardly beyond and on opposite horizontal sides of other of said generally horizontally extending segments, said embossed portions corresponding to certain of said design elements and cooperating with said design elements to provide a design with a three-dimensional effect, and
(e) a plurality of second fold lines extending between the upper and lower edges of said sheet permitting folding of said sheet into spaced apart front and back walls and spaced apart side walls forming a three-dimensional continuous shell with a interior cavity and which is initially open at its upper or lower end.

2 more elements

A three-dimensional decorative display device formed from a single sheet of foldable material having a plurality of first fold lines therein, said display device comprising;

(a) a plurality of endwise connected wall sections forming an enclosing wall with initially open portions of the display device,
(b) a first closure panel integrally connected to at least one of said spaced apart wall sections to close one open portion of said display device,
(c) a second closure panel hingedly and integrally connected to another wall section and folded over to close another portion of the display device to form a completely enclosed three-dimensional display device,
(d) each of said wall sections in said single sheet having generally parallel first fold lines arranged so that when folded each of the wall sections on said enclosing wall have lengthwise extending segments,
(e) a design on at least certain of the wall sections and said design being characterized by a plurality of individual design elements, and some of said design elements being generally horizontally extending design elements,
(f) said plurality of first fold lines extending across said certain of the wall sections forming individual segments which extend across said certain of the wall sections and at least certain of said segments being generally horizontally extending and corresponding to certain of the individual design elements, and,
(g) embossed portions on certain of said horizontally extending individual segments and which embossed portions extend outwardly beyond and on opposite horizontal sides of other of said generally horizontally extending segments, said embossed portions corresponding to certain of said design elements and cooperating with said design elements to provide a design on said three-dimensional object with a three-dimensional effect and also providing each wall section with a somewhat corrugated shape.

4 more elements

A sheet of material capable of being suspended or hung for use as a poster when in a flat sheet form and capable of being folded and assembled into a three-dimensional display device, said sheet of material comprising:

(a) a design on a front flat face of said sheet and having a plurality of horizontally extending design elements,
(b) a plurality of horizontally extending fold lines dividing said sheet into a front wall section and a back wall section with one of said front and back wall sections being initially located above the other,
(c) certain of said horizontally extending fold lines defining horizontally extending segments in said sheet and certain of the segments having embossed portions thereon so that the surfaces of said embossed portions protrude outwardly beyond other segments which do not have embossed portions, said embossed portions corresponding to certain of said design elements and cooperating with said design elements to provide a design with a three-dimensional effect,
(d) a plurality of vertically disposed fold lines dividing said sheet into one end wall section on the side edge of one of said front or back wall sections and another end wall section on the side edge of the other said front or back wall sections and being diagonally located on said sheet with respect to the first of the end wall sections,
(e) certain of said plurality of horizontally extending fold lines dividing said sheet into a plurality of horizontally disposed segments extending through said front and back wall sections and each of said end wall sections, said horizontally disposed design elements arranged with respect to and corresponding with said horizontally disposed segments and said embossed portions arranged with respect to said horizontally disposed segments to further produce a design with a three-dimensional effect, certain of said horizontally extending fold lines also dividing said sheet into top and bottom wall sections capable of extending between said front and back wall sections when said sheet is folded into the three-dimensional objects, and
(f) portions of certain of said horizontally extending fold lines and portions of certain of said vertically extending fold lines being score lines extending about the design on the front flat face of the sheet so that portions of said sheet beyond such design can be removed leaving substantially only the design.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Three-dimensional display device folded from a single sheet of material

Life of this patent

Three-dimensional display device folded from a single sheet of material

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18