Abstract:
A three-dimensional dry erase board is fabricated in a vacuum forming process using a suitable thermoplastic material laid over a mold of any desired three-dimensional surface. The three-dimensional dry erase board can be fashioned into any three-dimensional surface, with it replicating well-known persons, objects, logos, scenery, or the like. The dry erase board retains its markable and erasable qualities of the three-dimensional surface.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is entitled to the benefit of and incorporates by reference essential subject matter disclosed in Provisional U.S. Application 62/029,058 filed Jul. 25, 2014. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Humans have been seeking methods for communicating amongst themselves since Adam met Eve. Of course direct face-to-face communication is usually preferred, but other methods were sought when such a physical meeting could not take place. Thus ‘message boards’ and ‘letters’ were created. The first most likely being a stick drawing in dirt, or a clever arrangement of stones on the ground, Soon more sophisticated methods were invented such as Moses&#39; stone tablets the Egyptian scroll. Eventually the modern printed billboard was invented around the time of the US Civil War. 
         [0003]    Flat dry erasable message boards are a relatively new invention and method for communicating. Their precursor was the “whiteboard” invented in the late 50&#39;s. Used in classroom and meetings, the whiteboard brought the concept of a markable/eraseable flat surface to extensive use. Originally a clear film was scrolled across a white surface and such film could be wound on to a takeup roller as a new clear section of film was presented for marking. Eventually the film sheet was removed and an enameled white sheet was used to mark on. It was scratch resistant and easy to erase and clean. From this technology came the personal dry erase board found in many stores today. IVs a smaller size board you can hang in your kitchen for messaging the family. 
       FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0004]    This invention relates to methods and equipment for communicating or entertaining through a visual arts medium and more particularly to a new and novel dry erase board having a three-dimensional surface for eraseably receiving and displaying messages, logos, and artistic drawings applied to the surface by standard dry erase markers. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention in a first embodiment consists of a sheet of dry eraseable plastic material that has been permanently deformed into a three-dimensional surface. 
         [0006]    The shape of the three-dimensional surface can replicate any known person, object, animal, place, logo, text, arbitrary shape or combination thereof. The limits of the three-dimensional surface are limited only by the creator&#39;s imagination. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the three-dimensional dry erase board in a first embodiment of the invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the three-dimensional dry erase board; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3   is  a left elevation side view of the three-dimensional dry erase board; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a right elevation side view of the three-dimensional dry erase board; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the three-dimensional dry erase board; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the three-dimensional dry erase board; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the master mold used in the process of fabricating the three-dimensional dry erase board; 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of one of the individual molds in the master mold used in the process of fabricating the three-dimensional dry erase board; 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the vacuum forming machine used in the process of fabricating the three-dimensional dry erase board; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the master mold used in the process of fabricating the three-dimensional dry erase board. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Now referring to  FIG. 1  a perspective view of the three-dimensional dry erase board  10  in a first embodiment of the invention is shown. The invention  10  is fabricated through a vacuum mold process using PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) polyester plastic resulting in the three dimensional sheet shown in  FIG. 1 . Other suitable materials may be used. The molding process will be described below. The resultant three-dimensional dry erase board  10  has a rectangle edge  12  for its border. 
         [0018]    A flat surface  14  of the invention  10  surrounds the three-dimensional relief surface  16 . In approximately the center of the invention  10  a humanoid face  17  protrudes upward from the flat surface  14 . The face  17  comprises a forehead  18 , a pair of eyes  20 , a nose  22 , and a nondescript mouth/chin area  24 . 
         [0019]    The entire invention  10  from the rectangular edge  12  to the nose  22  may be drawn on with dry erasable markers (not shown) wherein such markers may be of any color. This allows a person a wide spectrum of artistic creativity. 
         [0020]    The artistic creations are produced by drawing on the three-dimensional features comprising the face  17  with erasable markers to add dimension and character to the face. For example, the drawing may include adding eyelashes, ears, bowties, hairdos and so on depending on the three-dimensional features. The choices are endless and may include a child&#39;s artwork, political commentary, comedy, purely informational messages and any other theme. Since the drawing on the erase board  10  with erasable markers is erasable, after a first artistic creation is produced on the board, it can be erased and a second creation can be drawn. The process can be repeatedly indefinitely. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  shows a front view of the invention  10 . The flat surface  14  again surrounds the relief surface  16  comprising a humanoid face which protrudes upward from the flat surface  14 . The face comprises a forehead  18 , a pair of eyes  20 , a nose  22 , and a nondescript mouth/chin area  24 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  shows a left side view of the invention  10 . The flat surface  14  again surrounds the relief surface  16  comprising a humanoid face which protrudes upward from the flat surface  14 . The face comprises a forehead  18 , a pair of eyes  20 , a nose  22 , and a nondescript mouth/chin area  24 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows a right side view of the invention  10 . This view is essentially identical to  FIG. 3  due to the symmetry of the invention  10  about a vertical plane bisecting the invention  10  through the nose  22  in a manner perpendicular to the flat plate  14 . However, symmetry of the relief surface  16  is not an essential feature of the invention. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  shows a top view of the invention  10 . The humanoid face protrudes from a flat surface  14 . In this view the forehead  18  and the nose  22  can be seen. 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  shows a bottom view of the invention  10 . The humanoid face  17  protrudes from the flat surface  14 . In this view the nose  22  and the nondescription mouth/chin area  24  can be seen. 
         [0026]    It should be noted that all of the surfaces visible in  FIGS. 1-6  possess a dry erasable surface that can be drawn or marked on with a dry erasable marker of any color. 
       Vacuum Forming Process 
       [0027]    The vacuum forming process used to fabricate the three-dimensional dry erase board  10  consists of first fabricating a master mold  40  as shown in  FIG. 7 . The mold is comprised of a face mold made in a conventional manner and then mounted to the master mold sheet. A warm sheet of thermoplastic material is laid over the master mold and pulled down by vacuum forces to form the sheet to the mold. Cooling is provided to the master mold by cold-water circuits. For example, a sheet of PETG thermoplastic is heated to a pliable state, for example, 125° F., over the master mold so as to be pliable and then pulled down on the mold by vacuum. Cooling water then is circulated through the mold to cool and set the thermoplastic sheet in a rigid state. 
         [0028]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the master mold  40 . Six individual molds  42  are combined onto master mold  40  for production efficiency. A master vacuum port  44  will be coupled to a vacuum source during the production phase to assist in the vacuum forming process by pulling the thermoplastic sheet down onto the master mold  40 . A cold water circuit inside the master mold  40  has intake and exhaust ports  58  located on the side of the master mold  40 . These ports  58  are coupled to a cold water source during production and provide the necessary cold sink during the final stages of production when the thermoplastic sheet must be cooled. 
         [0029]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of one of the six individual molds  42  that make up the master mold  40  in  FIG. 7 . The face mold  50  has been mounted on the flat sheet  51  and a series of mini-vacuum ports are manufactured into the face mold  50 , the flat sheet  51 , and the gap  56  between them. The face mold  50  has a series of small holes  52  located in critical valley points of the face mold  50 , such as the base of the nose, the top of the nose, and several points around the eyes. These small holes  52  are critical as they ensure the thermoplastic sheet is sufficiently pulled and deformed into these areas to provide an exact three-dimensional replication of the facial mold surface. A further series of mini vacuum ports  52  are located around the edge of the flat sheet  51 . This ensures that the plastic sheet is sufficiently pulled and deformed down onto the surface. Also the face mold  50  is mounted in a slightly elevated position from the flat sheet  51  creating an open scene  56  between the face old  50  and a flat sheet  51 . This ensures that the thermoplastic sheet is sufficiently pulled down around the face mold  50 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the vacuum formatting machine  60 . In this machine  60  the thermoplastic sheet is heated to the appropriate temperature so that the material becomes very pliable. The master mold  40  is placed on a rack below a second rack, which holds the thermoplastic sheet. When the thermoplastic sheet reaches the correct temperature the sheet is lowered onto the master mold  40 . A vacuum source is then applied to the master mold  40  pulling and deforming the thermoplastic sheet onto the contours of the master mold  40 . When the thermoplastic sheet has completely formed to the contours of the master mold  40 , a cold water cooling circuit is activated in the master mold  40  to cool the thermoplastic sheet. Once the thermoplastic sheet has been sufficiently cooled, it regains its rigid characteristics and the sheet is removed for cutting into the six individual three-dimensional dry erase boards. 
         [0031]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the master mold  40 . The cold water ports  58  which include both an intake and exhaust port for circulating cold water during the later stages of the production cycle are located on the right side of the master mold  40 . The cold water circulates through the entire master mold  40  and is facilitated by loop connectors  60  so that the cold water is distributed evenly throughout the master mold  40 . This is necessary as one of the final production steps to cool down the thermoplastic sheet so that it to regain its room temperature rigidity. 
         [0032]    While the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, various modifications will be apparent to and might readily be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto be limited to the description as set forth herein, but, rather, that the claims be broadly construed.