Abstract:
A device for creating a chalk drawing on a surface includes a base adapted to rest on the surface, a housing cover rotatably connected to the base and a direction indicator indicating a rotational position of the housing cover with respect to the base. A tape measure assembly is connected to the housing cover and includes a tape measure that may be moved between extended and contracted conditions. The tape measure includes a distal end portion. A position of the distal end portion of the tape measure and a rotational position of the housing cover with respect to the base establish coordinates for a plot point of the chalk drawing. A method for creating a chalk drawing using the device is also disclosed.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/104,936, filed Oct. 13, 2008, currently pending. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to creative toys for children and, more particularly, to a device and method for plotting and creating chalk drawings. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    For many years, children, and even some adults, have enjoyed making drawings on sidewalks, driveways and other paved surfaces, using chalk. The chalk used may be simply white, or a variety of other colors. Such drawings may be simply washed away with water after they are enjoyed for a period of time. 
         [0004]    A child&#39;s participation and enjoyment in this creative activity, however, has traditionally been limited by the artistic ability of the child. Even if a child is naturally artistic, the ability to create more complex and interesting drawings broadens the appeal of the activity. It is therefore desirable to provide a device and method that enable children to create chalk drawings. Such a device and method should be easy to use and enable a variety of different drawings to be created. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the chalk drawing device of the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the chalk drawing device of  FIG. 1  after assembly; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the chalk drawing device of  FIG. 2  taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of a chalk drawing created using an embodiment of the chalk drawing device and method of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are front and back side views, respectively, of a recipe card for use with an embodiment of the chalk drawing device and method of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIGS. 7   a - 7   e  illustrate the use of the chalk drawing device of  FIGS. 1-3  in accordance with an embodiment of the method of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0011]    An embodiment of the chalk drawing device is indicated in general at  12  in  FIGS. 1-3 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the device includes a housing cover, indicated in general at  14 , a mounting plate, indicated in general at  16 , and a base, indicated in general at  18 . All three components are preferably constructed from molded plastic. 
         [0012]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the housing cover  14  includes a handle portion  22  which features a circular central opening  24 , the purpose for which will be explained below. The housing portion also includes a rim portion  26  to which is mounted a square tape measure window  28  and a round direction window  32 . The housing cover also features a button aperture  34 . 
         [0013]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , the mounting plate  16  features a circular central opening  36  and a tape measure recess  38 . In addition, four tabs  42   a ,  42   b ,  42   c  and  42   d  (not shown) are positioned in spaced relation about the circumferential edge of the mounting plate. Each tab features an aperture. 
         [0014]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the base  18  includes letters of the alphabet  44  molded about the circumference. While the letters are illustrated as molded into the base, they may alternatively be printed, attached with adhesive or as stickers, or using other methods known in the art. In addition, in place of letters, as will be apparent from the following description of use, symbols, numbers or other characters could be substituted for the letters as directional characters. Adjacent to and radially inward from each letter is a corresponding circular detent  46 . The base also includes a central opening  48 , a trailing alignment tab  52  featuring a V-shaped notch  54 , and a triangular shaped leading tab  56 . 
         [0015]    A tape measure assembly, indicated in general at  60  in  FIG. 1 , features a housing  62  which contains a rolled-up tape measure, a portion of which is indicated at  64 . As indicated at  66 , the tape measure  64  is provided with numbers or other tape measure characters. The distal end portion of the tape measure is provided with pull tab  68 , which features circular opening  72 . A coil spring (not shown) is positioned within the housing  62  and is attached to the tape measure  64  and urges it from an extended condition (such as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 7   b ) into a retracted condition (such as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 7   a ) where it is entirely rolled-up within the housing. Such arrangements are well known in the art and alternative types of springs and arrangements for retracting the tape measure may be used instead. 
         [0016]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , during assembly of the device, a tape retraction button  74  is positioned within the button aperture  34  of the handle cover  14 . With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the tape measure housing  62  is then positioned on the tape measure recess  38  of mounting plate  16  and a tape measure brake  76  and compression coil spring  78  are positioned on top of a ledge  82  molded onto the tape measure housing  62 . 
         [0017]    The mounting plate  16  is then attached to the bottom of the housing cover  14  via screws or rivets that engage the apertures of tabs  42   a  - 42   d  ( FIG. 1 ) of the mounting plate and corresponding openings formed in the underside of the housing cover. 
         [0018]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the tape measure brake  76  features a flange portion  84  that abuts the bottom edge  86  of the tape measure housing  62  so that the tape measure  64  ( FIG. 1 ) is pinched there between and prevented from retracting into the housing  62 . When the tape retraction button  74  is pressed, it engages the brake  76  so that it is pushed and slides downward, against the upward urging of spring  78 . As a result, the flange portion  84  of the brake  76  moves away from the bottom edge  86  of the tape measure housing so that the tape measure  64  is released and automatically retracted into housing  62 , and thus the housing cover  14 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the pull tab  68  of the tape measure remains exposed so that the tape measure may be extended for future use. 
         [0019]    A fastening ring, indicated at  92  in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , secures the base  18  to the underside of mounting plate  16  through the central opening  48  of the base. The fastening ring  92  may be secured to the mounting plate via threads, adhesive or other fastening arrangements. Base central opening  48  is sized so that the base  18  may rotate with respect to the housing cover  14  and the mounting plate  16  (which is secured to the housing cover as previously described) about a vertical rotational axis indicated at  91  in  FIG. 3 . The central openings of the housing cover  14 , mounting plate  16  and base  18 , illustrated at  24 ,  36  and  48 , respectively, in  FIG. 1 , are aligned to form a circular point viewing window  93  ( FIG. 2 ). 
         [0020]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , a ratchet arm  94  features a proximal end that is secured to the underside of mounting plate  16  and a distal end that features a projection  96  that engages the detents  46  of the base. As a result, the housing cover moves incrementally in a ratcheting fashion when it is rotated with respect to the base. 
         [0021]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a letter of the base  18  appears in the direction window  32  of the housing cover  14  to serve as a direction indicator, while a number of the tape measure ( 64  in  FIG. 1 ) appears in the tape measure window  28 . It should be noted that in an alternative embodiment, the device could feature a direction indicator including characters positioned on the housing cover and the direction window positioned on the base. 
         [0022]    The device  12  of  FIGS. 1-3  may be used to create a chalk drawing, such as the one illustrated in  FIG. 4 , using the following procedure. Notably, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the drawing is made up of a number of line segments, such as the one indicated at  100 , that extend between plot points, such as  102  and  104 . 
         [0023]    A recipe card, indicated in general at  106  in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , features a front side (illustrated in  FIG. 5 ) and a back side (illustrated in  FIG. 6 ). As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the front side of the card preferably includes an illustration of what the finished drawing will generally look like. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the back side of the card features a series of two-character codes that, as will be described below, provide the coordinates for the plot points that, along with the line segments, make up the drawings. Of course, such instructions do not have to appear on a card such as the one illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . They may be simply printed on a piece of paper or provided electronically, such as via the Internet and a computer screen. 
         [0024]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , the first character of the coordinates refers to a letter that should appear in the direction window  32  ( FIG. 2 ) of the device. The second character of the coordinates refers to the tape measure number that should appear in the tape measure window  28  ( FIG. 2 ) of the device. For example, the first coordinates on the card of  FIG. 6 , indicated at  108 , feature the letter “B” and the number “12”. The second coordinates  110 , feature the letter “C” and the number “114.” As will now be explained with reference to  FIGS. 7   a - 7   e , the device is configured using these coordinate sets to plot out the points of the drawing in accordance with an embodiment of the method of the present invention. 
         [0025]    The process is begun by marking an initial plot point in chalk on a surface. This point is illustrated at  120  in  FIG. 7   a . As illustrated in  FIG. 7   a , the chalk drawing device  12  is next positioned on the surface so that the initial point  120  is viewable in the point viewing window  93  of the device and the leading tab  56  is pointed away from the user in a direction that is perpendicular to both the imaginary top and bottom edges, and parallel to the imaginary side edges, of what will be the completed drawing. The letter “A” appears in the direction window  32  of the device while the number “1” appears in the tape measure window  28 . Note that the tape measure pull tab ( 68  in  FIG. 2 ) has been omitted from  FIGS. 7   a ,  7   c  and  7   d  for clarity. 
         [0026]    Assuming that the recipe card gives the first set of coordinates as “A” and “27”, the tape measure  64  is extended out of the device  12 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7   b , until the number “27” appears in the tape measure window  28  of the device. A second plot point  122  is made in chalk on the surface through the circular opening ( 72  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) of the tape measure pull tab  68 . The tape measure  64  is automatically retracted into the device  12  when the tape retraction button  74  is pressed by the user. A line  124  is drawn on the surface in chalk between the points  120  and  122 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7   c.    
         [0027]    As illustrated in  FIG. 7   c , the device  12  is next positioned so that the point  122  is seen through point viewing window  93  and the V-shaped notch  54  of the trailing alignment tab  52  is aligned with line  124 . 
         [0028]    As illustrated in  FIG. 7   d , the housing cover  14  (and thus mounting plate  16  of  FIG. 1 ) of the device  12  is rotated with respect to the base  18  via handle portion  22 . Assuming that the second coordinate set on the card lists the coordinates “B” and “15”, the housing cover  14  is rotated until the letter “B” appears in direction window  32 . At this time, the number “1” appears in the tape measure viewing window  28  since the tape measure was retracted. 
         [0029]    Next, as illustrated in  FIG. 7   e , the tape measure  64  is extended until the number “15” appears in the tape measure window  28  of the device  12 . A third plot point  126  is made in chalk on the surface through the circular opening ( 72  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) of the tape measure pull tab  68 . A line is then drawn on the surface in chalk between the points  122  and  126 . The process is then repeated to draw the remaining plot points and line segments until the chalk drawing is completed. 
         [0030]    The present invention therefore provides a chalk drawing device and method where a virtually unlimited variety of drawings may be created through the provision of “recipes” via recipe cards or the like. The device is simple to use so that it may be enjoyed by children of nearly all ages, and even by adults.