Patent ID: 6246461
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: G02B,G03B

Abstract:
An animation device for displaying a successive series of composite images to effect an animation, each composite image formed from a pair of side by side images that are associated parts of the composite image, the animation device comprising:a plurality of pairs of sheets arranged in a stack, said sheets formed from a continuous length of accordion-folded material comprising a plurality of first fold lines and a plurality of second fold lines;each pair of sheets overlying a respective lower pair of sheets, each sheet having an upper side, a lower side, and laterally opposed first and second edges, the first edges of the sheets being located on one side of the stack and the second edges of the sheets being located on the other side of the stack;each pair of sheets including an upper sheet overlying a lower sheet, a first image on the lower side of the upper sheet and a second image on the upper side of the lower sheet, the first and second images being associated parts of a composite image;said first fold lines joining upper and lower sheets of respective pairs of sheets, each of said first fold lines connecting the first edge of the upper sheet to the first edge of the lower sheet of the respective pair of sheets;said second fold lines joining each pair of sheets to a respective lower pair of sheets, each of said second fold lines joining the second edge of the lower sheet of a pair of sheets to the second edge of the upper sheet of a respective lower pair of sheets;the sheets in each pair of sheets being relatively rotatable about its respective first fold line from a folded position on the stack wherein the first and second images are between the pairs of sheets and face each other to an unfolded position wherein the upper sheet of such pair of sheets has rotated about the first fold line from the folded position and is located to one side of the lower sheet and both images face upwardly for display of the composite image; andan elongate flexible member joining the pairs of sheets to apply an unfolding force urging the sheets to rotate about their respective first fold lines, the flexible member comprising a plurality of sections each joining a pair of sheets to a respective lower pair of sheets, each section having opposed ends, one end attached to an upper sheet a distance away from the first edge of such upper sheet and the other end attached to an upper sheet of a respective lower pair of sheets a distance away from the first edge of such upper sheet;whereby rotating the uppermost sheet of the plurality of pairs of sheets to the unfolded position and moving the unfolded uppermost sheet laterally away from the stack of folded pairs of sheets causes each pair of sheets to unfold sequentially and display composite images of an animation sequentially.