Abstract:
A pair of dispensing devices is provided that exhibits an optical illusion that two identically sized such dispensing devices appear to be different sizes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to dispensers that provide the optical illusion of two identically sized devices appearing to be of different sizes. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Today&#39;s marketplace for dispensing devices for the home or office is thriving and crowded. It is difficult for merchants and manufacturers in this market to distinguish their products from the vast array of choices available to the consumer. Adding the novelty of a striking optical illusion to the design of everyday dispensing devices adds a new aesthetic and amusement value to them. Especially common in the average household are dispensers for salt and pepper, other spices, oils and vinegars, bath powders and bath salts and the like. In addition, many disposable dispensers used by manufacturers to package consumables find their ways into the average household. Adding an optical illusion to such household dispensers adds a welcome new dimension of enjoyment for the consumer, and adding such an optical illusion to the packaging of common consumables can give a marketing edge by attracting attention to their novel design. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 8,051,592 B2 (Gary W. Schnuckle) enhances drinking cups and dispensers for liquids by adding a 3D tableau optical illusion effect visible when peering into the mouth of a cup or when looking through the transparent sides of a dispenser. U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,623 (Valentin Hierzer and Steve Sungsuk Kim) discloses closures for dispensing packages that use a lenticular lens to provide the illusion of three dimensional, moving, or multiple images to enhance the saleability and marketability of products contained therein. 
         [0005]    One striking and very well known optical illusion, discovered by the American psychologist Joseph Jastrow in the nineteenth century, involves displaying two identical two dimensional arch-shaped figures. When one such two dimensional figure is aligned adjacent to another so that one of the arches is nestled next to the other, the strong illusion effect occurs that one figure is significantly larger than the other. Nothing in the prior art or on the market today utilizes this striking illusion to enhance the marketability of dispensers or products packaged in disposable dispensers such as foodstuffs, confectionaries, cosmetics, cleaning agents, or office products, etc., or to enhance the amusement, novelty and aesthetic value to consumers of such dispensers or such products packaged in disposable dispensers. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides a novel dispenser for dispensing substances or items (e.g., spices, liquids, powders, cereals, confectionaries), wherein two identically sized such dispensing devices present the optical illusion of being different sizes. 
         [0007]    The present invention also provides a novel method of providing a novel dispenser for dispensing substances or items (e.g., spices, liquids, powders, cereals, confectionaries), wherein two identically sized such dispensing devices present the optical illusion of being different sizes. 
         [0008]    These and other aspects of the present invention have been accomplished in view of the discovery of a dispenser as described herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a top, front, right side perspective view of a single dispenser of a pair of dispensers of a first embodiment of my invention in the exemplary context of a pair of dispensers for bath salt and body powder. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top, front, right side perspective view of a pair of dispensers of the first embodiment of my invention stacked one upon the other. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of a pair of dispensers of the first embodiment of my invention stacked one upon the other. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a top, front, right side perspective view of a pair of dispensers of a second embodiment of my invention in the exemplary context of a pair of cruets for oil and vinegar so shaped that they can stand on end upright. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a top, front, right side perspective view of a pair of dispensers of the second embodiment of my invention stacked one upon the other. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of a pair of dispensers of the second embodiment of my invention stacked one upon the other. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a top, front, right side perspective view of a pair of dispensers of a third embodiment of my invention in the exemplary context of a pair of salt and pepper grinders so shaped that they can stand on end and bisected horizontally to permit operation of the grinding mechanism. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a top, front, right side perspective view of a single dispenser of the third embodiment of my invention while being twisted to operate the grinding mechanism. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a top, front, right side perspective view of a pair of dispensers of the third embodiment of my invention stacked one upon the other. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a top, front, right side perspective view of a pair of dispensers of a fourth embodiment of my invention in the exemplary context of a pair of cookie or candy jars. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is an illustration of various possible shapes for the containers of pairs of dispensers of my invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Incorporating the Jastrow optical illusion into the design of a dispenser adds novelty, amusement, and aesthetic value to a practical means for dispensing substances or items. Such dispensers can include, but are not limited to, retail product dispensers, jars for cookies or confectionaries, dispensers of foods or food preparation ingredients in the kitchen, dispensers for office supplies such as staples, pens, or notepads, or dispensers for hardware items in a workshop. The means of dispensing for such dispensers include, but are not limited to, shakers for powders or spices, grinders for spices and salts, cruets for oil and vinegar, hand pumps for liquid soaps and lotions, carafes for wines or spirits, slotted openings for tissues or wipes, or large open mouths on storage bins for cotton balls, tooth picks, or confectionaries. 
         [0021]    In an aspect of the invention, a method is provided for designing a set of optical illusion dispensers which exhibit an optical illusion that one of the dispensers is larger than the other when, in fact, they are identical in size. 
         [0022]    In another aspect of the invention, a pair of dispensers is provided, comprising: 
         [0023]    A pair of dispensers comprising:
       a. a first dispenser comprising:
           i. a container having an arc-like shape, and having a front face, a back face, a top face, a bottom face, a left face, a right face, and at least one cavity;
               1. the front face of said container being a substantially planar arc-shaped surface having a top edge, an opposing bottom edge, a left edge and an opposing right edge;
                   a. the top edge of said front face being a concave circular arc of constant radius of curvature;   b. the opposing bottom edge of said front face being a convex circular arc of constant radius of curvature equal to the radius of curvature of the top edge thereof, being approximately concentric with the top edge thereof, and being substantially longer than the top edge thereof;   c. the left edge of said front face being a straight line which intersects a tangent to the arc of the top edge thereof, said tangent being determined at the left end point of the top edge of said front face, at an angle greater than 100,° and which intersects a tangent to arc of the bottom edge thereof, said tangent being determined at the left end point of the bottom edge of said front face, at an angle less than 86°; and,   d. the opposing right edge of said front face being a straight line which intersects a tangent to the arc of the top edge thereof, said tangent being determined at the right end point of the top edge of said front face, at an angle greater than 85,° and intersects a tangent to the arc of the bottom edge thereof, said tangent being determined at the right end point of the bottom edge of said front face, at an angle less than 101°;   
                   2. the back face of said container being a substantially planar arc-shaped surface having a top edge, an opposing bottom edge, a left edge and an opposing right edge;
                   a. the back face of said container being a mirror image of, and substantially parallel to, the front face thereof;   b. the left edge of the back face of said container being substantially parallel to the opposing right edge of the front face thereof; and,   c. the opposing right edge of the back face of said container being substantially parallel to the left edge of the front face thereof;   
                   3. the top face of said container being a cylindrically curved concave surface of constant radius of curvature equal to the radius of curvature of the top edge of the front face thereof, and extending substantially perpendicularly between the top edge of the front face thereof and the top edge of the back face thereof;   4. the bottom face of said container being a cylindrically curved convex surface of the same constant radius of curvature as the bottom edge of the front face thereof, and extending substantially perpendicularly between the bottom edge of the front face thereof and the bottom edge of the back face thereof;   5. the left face of said container being a substantially planar surface, being substantially rectangular in shape, and extending substantially perpendicularly between the left edge of the front face thereof and the opposing right edge of the back face thereof;   6. the right face of said container being a substantially planar surface, being substantially rectangular in shape, and extending substantially perpendicularly between the opposing right edge of the front face thereof and the left edge of the back face thereof; and,   7. the at least one cavity of said container opening onto at least one face thereof, and being of sufficient size and shape to receive and store a predetermined substance or substances or items;   
               ii. a means for dispensing the substance or substances or items contained within the at least one cavity of said container; and,   iii. optionally, a means for sealing the substance or substances or items stored within the at least one cavity of said container; and,   
           b. a second dispenser comprising:
           i. a container having an arc-like shape, and having a front face, a back face, a top face, a bottom face, a left face, a right face, and at least one cavity;
               1. said container being congruent with the container of the first dispenser; and,   2. the at least one cavity of said container opening onto at least one face thereof, and being of sufficient size and shape to receive and store a predetermined substance or substances or items;   
               ii. a means for dispensing the substance or substances or items stored within the at least one cavity of said container; and,   iii. optionally, a means for sealing the substance or substances or items stored within the at least one cavity of said container.   
               
 
         [0048]    Dispensers of my invention can be opaque, translucent, or transparent, and can be manufactured using numerous materials including, but not limited to, wood, plastic, metal, glass, natural fibers and fabrics. 
         [0049]    Whatever their materials of manufacture or their means of dispensing, illusion dispensers of my invention are best employed in sets of two or more dispensers identical in size but bearing different ornamentation, such as contrasting colors or differing labels. The strength of the illusion is best demonstrated by reversing the relative positions of a pair of dispensers of my invention, the two dispensers being easily distinguished by differing ornamentation. Thus, when switching the positions of the two dispensers, the identity of the apparently larger dispenser changes abruptly and dramatically. For example, if one dispenser were white and the other black, and the black dispenser laid to rest on it&#39;s convex surface and the white dispenser stacked on top of the black dispenser, the white dispenser would appear to be the larger of the two. Upon switching the position of the two dispensers, the black dispenser suddenly, and surprisingly, appears to be larger than the white dispenser. The optical illusion effect can be so strong that the two dispensers seem to have somehow magically changed in size. 
         [0050]    Ideal for such demonstrations are sets of dispensers for groups of differing substances or items that are frequently used together such as salt and pepper, oil and vinegar, red wine and white wine, body powder and foot powder, etc. Additionally, the entertainment value of the Jastrow illusion is enhanced in social settings suitable for presentation of the effect to one or more observers uninitiated to the illusion. Such venues might include a gathering at a dinner table, at a formal meeting, at product demonstrations at conventions, or in a retail environment. 
         [0051]    Certain aspects of the present invention are depicted in  FIGS. 1-3 . These figures illustrate an embodiment of my invention in the exemplary context of a pair of shaker type dispensers for bath salts or body powder. Container  100  has a cavity  110  which contains body powder or bath salts. Removable cap  108  has several apertures  107  that permit the dispensing of the powder or salts by shaking the container. These apertures may remain permanently open, or, optionally, they may be designed to close by twisting the cap or any other means, thereby sealing the contents inside the container. The cap attaches to the dispenser by either snapping or screwing into the container  100 , or any other suitable means. The front face  101  of the container is arc-like in shape, the top edge  104  of the face being a convex arc of constant radius of curvature and the bottom edge  112  being a convex arc of the same constant radius of curvature as the top edge. A typical radius of curvature for hand held dispensers is 6 inches. The left edge  114  and right edge  106  of the front face are straight lines. These edges intersect the bottom edge  112  at corners  111  and  113  at an acute angle less than 86° to two tangents to the arc of the bottom edge, said tangents being determined at the two end points of the bottom edge, and one of said tangents being illustrated as  301  in  FIG. 3 . They intersect the top edge  104  at corners  102  and  105  at an obtuse angle more than 100° to two tangents to the arc of the top edge, said tangents being determined at the two end points of the top edge, and one of said tangents being illustrated as  302  in  FIG. 3 . The right face  109  of the container is a planar surface, substantially perpendicular to the front face  101 . In this embodiment of my invention, the left face, not seen in  FIG. 1 , is a mirror image of the right face but lacking a cavity similar to the cavity  110  on the right face. 
         [0052]    The top face  103  of the container is a cylindrical surface of the same constant radius of curvature as the top edge  104  and the bottom edge  112  of the front face. The bottom face of the container, not seen in  FIG. 1 , is also a cylindrical surface of the same constant radius of curvature as the top face. Thus two dispensers of my invention can be stacked one on top of the other with the bottom face of the upper dispenser contiguous with the top face of the lower dispenser.  FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of two such dispensers stacked one on top of the other and  FIG. 3  illustrates the front elevational view of the same.  FIG. 3  illustrates the illusion created by such a placement of dispensers, namely, the optical illusion that the top dispenser is substantially larger than the bottom dispenser. 
         [0053]      FIG. 4  illustrates a second embodiment of my new invention in the exemplary context of a pair of cruets for oil and vinegar. In this embodiment, the means of dispensing the liquid held in each container is a tube  405  which permits dripping the liquid by tipping and shaking the dispenser. In this embodiment the container tubes extend from caps which seal the cavities inside the containers, and which can be removed to allow filling the containers. Also in this embodiment, the flat surfaces  400  and  403 , the cruet bottom surfaces in  FIG. 4 , are substantially perpendicular to the tangents to the curved surfaces  401 ,  402 ,  404  and  406 , the sides in  FIG. 4 , thereby permitting the dispensers to balance on these bottom surfaces.  FIG. 5  illustrates in a perspective view of two of these cruets on their sides, stacked one on top of the other.  FIG. 6  illustrates a front elevational view of the two stacked cruets. This view more clearly illustrates the near perpendicularity of flat surfaces  400  and  403 , the sides in the position of  FIG. 6 , to the curved surfaces  401 ,  402 ,  404  and  406 . Note that the intersection of flat surface  403  with the tangent  605  to the concave surface  404  is greater than 85° and that the intersection of flat surface  403  with the tangent  606  to the convex surface  402  is less than 101°. Note also that the angle of intersection of the flat surface  602 , the side in the position of  FIG. 6 , and the tangent  603  to the concave curved surface  401  is still more than 100°, as is the angle of intersection of the flat surface  601  with the tangent to the concave curved surface  404 . Note too that the angle of intersection of the flat surface  601  and the tangent  604  to the convex curved surface  402  is also still less than 86°, as is the angle of intersection of the flat surface  602  and the tangent  603  to the convex curved surface  406 . To some observers the change in angle of the flat surfaces  400  and  403  diminishes the illusion effect that the top cruet is larger than the bottom cruet. 
         [0054]    All embodiments of my invention have at least one pair of substantially planar side faces on the ends of a pair of dispensers, corresponding to surfaces  601  and  602  in  FIG. 6 , with corresponding obtuse and acute angles of intersection with the tangents to the top and bottom curved surfaces. These pairs of faces are aligned to be approximately coplanar when demonstrating the illusion, and they are necessary to create the illusion effect. The other side faces, corresponding to surfaces  400  and  403  in  FIG. 6 , may, optionally, have the same angles of intersection with the planes tangent to the top and bottom surfaces, but they may also be closer to perpendicular to the planes tangent to permit standing the dispensers on end without eliminating the illusion effect. 
         [0055]      FIG. 7  illustrates a pair of a third embodiment of my new invention in the exemplary context of a pair of grinders for salt and pepper. In this embodiment, the means of dispensing the spices in the container is a grinding mechanism and an opening in the bottom surface of the dispenser. Like the cruet example, in this embodiment the bottom surfaces  701  and  702  are substantially perpendicular to the curved sides  702 ,  704 ,  705 , and  706  thereby permitting the dispensers to balance on these bottom surfaces. Other embodiments in the exemplary context of a pair of grinders, not illustrated, have left and right surfaces which are mirror images of each other, as in the first embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . Additionally, the dispenser of this embodiment is bisected horizontally (when viewing a dispenser in the standing position) into two components, here identified as a top component  707  and a bottom component  708  when the grinder rests in the standing position, or, alternatively, as a left component  901  and a right component  902  when the grinder rests in a lying position as illustrated in  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 8  illustrates the operation of the grinding mechanism by twisting the top component  707  relative to the bottom component  708 . 
         [0056]      FIG. 10  illustrates a pair of dispensers of a fourth embodiment of my invention in the exemplary context of a pair of cookie or candy jars. In this embodiment the means of storing and dispensing the contents is a pair of openings sufficiently large to permit reaching inside the dispensers to remove one or more items. Optionally, lids may be provided which seal the contents inside the jars. 
         [0057]      FIG. 11  illustrates some of the variations in the size and shape of the containers of dispensers of my invention. These variations in shape and application include, but are not limited to, the following. A pair of substantially flattened containers  1101  is suitable as a set of flasks for dispensing water, soft drinks, wines, or spirits. A pair of narrow containers  1102  is suitable for dispensing inks, paints or dyes. A pair of long thin containers  1103  is suitable for dispensing glues or cosmetics. A pair of containers which are substantially square in cross section  1104  is suitable for dispensing sugar, spices, powders, oils, vinegars, wines or spirits. 
         [0058]    Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.