Patent ID: 6097468
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: A63H,G03B

Abstract:
A collapsible zoetrope comprising a blank of sheet material having in one position a flattened form and in a second position an operational erect configuration, said zoetrope comprising a base and a wall,said wall in said erect configuration, having a regular polygonal hollow cylindrical form having planar panels meeting and defining a number of corner angles, said number being defined by the equation2 times x, where ""x"" is an odd integer greater than 3,said wall in said erect configuration having radial symmetry around a rotational axis which is mutually parallel with said corner angles,said base in said erect configuration, defining a plane disposed perpendicular to said rotational axis, the intersection of said hollow cylindrical wall and said plane defining a line of intersection around said wall,a first area of said wall lying on one side of said line of intersection and a second area of said wall lying on the opposite side of said line of intersection,said first area having regularly-spaced viewing slits disposed mutually parallel with said rotational axis,said line of intersection having a regular polygonal form defining the perimeter of said base, and having edges and vertices, each edge being parallel to an edge on the opposite side of the base,said base being permanently connected to said wall only along two diametrically opposite edges of said base with hinged connections, the length of each of said hinged connections being no more than the width between vertices along the length of said line of intersection, and being temporarily connected to said wall when in said erect configuration along other edges of said base with releasible connections,said hinged and releasible connections being the only connections between said base and said hollow cylindrical wall,said base including a bisecting fold line parallel to said hinged connections and passing through opposing vertices of said base perimeter, and defining a line passing through two opposing corners of said hollow cylindrical wall when said zoetrope is in said erect configuration,said zoetrope being foldable from said erect configuration to said flattened form by folding along said bisecting fold line and said two opposing corners, and may be erected from said flattened form to said erect configuration by unfolding along said bisecting fold line and said two opposing corners.