Method of reconfiguring a flexible planar item to a simulated character
AssigneeMPA International Corporation
InventorsMary M. Ponthan, David P. Behr, George R. Larsgard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a combination flexible planar item and character. The item comprises a flexible planar item, that when manipulated, takes on the appearance of a character. The character is formed by a character body that becomes defined from the manipulation of the planar item. The planar item has an exterior surface and at least one character feature that is present on the exterior surface of the item. When correctly manipulated, the combination of at least one character feature and the character body provide the appearance of a character.
Claims5
A method of creating a character, said character having a head and a body, comprising the steps of:
- providing an item which is flaccid and flexible, said item having at least first, second and third edges, and said item is configurable between first and second configurations and, when in said first configuration, defines a surface which is generally planar;
- portraying at a location on the surface, proximate a said first edge thereof, a first feature of said character, and portraying on the surface a second feature of said character;
- and
- manipulating the item from said first configuration to said second configuration by overlapping a first portion of the item onto a second portion thereof in a direction toward said first edge and overlapping a third portion of said item onto a fourth portion of said item in a direction generally from the second edge to said third edge, wherein, when the item is in the first configuration, it the item serves a blanket function, and, when it the item is in the second configuration, it the item takes on the appearance of the character by simulating the head and body of the character with the first and second features positioned appropriately with respect to the body to suggest the head of the character.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.