Abstract:
A device for displaying a character having a virtual image wherein the display device includes an outer housing and an optical assembly. In one embodiment, the outer housing provides a surface for depicting a character. The optical assembly includes a first concave mirror and a second concave mirror facing the first concave mirror with one of the mirrors being provided with an aperture aligned with a hole in the outer housing and the other mirror supporting an object related to the character. With this construction, an image projected from the object will appear to float above the character in an attractive fashion. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer housing takes the form of a doll. In yet other embodiments, the outer housing is in the form of a box used for shipping or a box used to hold jewelry, candy, or memorabilia, etc.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to display devices and, more particularly, to display devices that incorporate both some type of character and an optical assembly which can project a virtual image. The display device may be incorporated into various outer housings such as dolls, jewelry boxes or any type of box or package used to ship items. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In today&#39;s market it is becoming increasingly important to provide products which are aesthetically pleasing in addition to having useful functions. Consumers are becoming more and more demanding and desirous of packaging and products that will not only look good in a storefront but serve some additional purpose as either a display or novelty item. Towards that end, many manufacturers have placed either attractive designs on the outside of the boxes they ship their products in, or alternatively, have used various types of characters in order to induce people to purchase their products. Sometimes these characters are either depicted as an image on a box or occasionally sold on their own as a three-dimensional figure or doll. 
     Occasionally a purchaser may see such a character either depicted as an image on a package or as a full three-dimensional figure and may wonder what the character is thinking. Some solutions previously proposed have included providing a little “balloon” near the character which indicates what the character is either saying or thinking. Alternatively, a figure may be sold with an attached little booklet so that a consumer might read about what the character is thinking and, in general, what the personality traits of the character are. 
     With regard to the problem of making packaging or boxes aesthetically pleasing, it is already known in the art to form a box, such as a jewelry box, in a heart shape. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,162 which shows in FIG. 2 a heart shaped jewelry box 10. This patent, however, fails to recognize the advantage of using characters to make the package more aesthetically pleasing, let alone the advantage of letting people know what those characters are thinking. 
     With regard to using a three-dimensional character on its own, U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,604 discloses a rockable toy with a reflecting mirror. Essentially the mirror is positioned so that when a child looks in the mirror it will see a moving head of a figure. The mirror is not used to indicate or represent what the doll or toy is thinking but rather merely to entertain a child who may be playing with the toy. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,865, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a doll with a mirrored face and a storage compartment. Specifically the patent discloses that “portions of the appendages can be modified in a manner to provide storage compartments for elongated objects such as nail files, combs, knitting needles and the like. When so modified, the subject matter of the invention serves a dual function: 1) as a doll and 2) as a purse, clutch bag or overnight case.” The patent also recognizes the desirability of using a convex or otherwise modified mirror to provide novel and amusing reflective effects. However, while this patent does recognize using a mirror with a doll, it does not use a mirror to convey what the doll is thinking,” nor does it use a mirror or a combination of mirrors in any specialized way to convey such information. 
     Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,284, which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a mirror arrangement designed to display objects such as jewelry. While this patent does use an interesting combination of mirrors to provide a display device, the display is generally designed to display jewelry while avoiding theft, rather than to provide for transportation of the jewelry. Furthermore, nowhere does the patent appear to disclose using characters in an aesthetic way. 
     As can be seen from the above discussion, while it is known and considered desirable to use characters to sell products or to sell characters themselves, and in addition, to have consumers be able to tell what those characters are thinking, none of the proposed solutions in the prior art have achieved these objectives. 
     Based on the above, there exists a need in the art for a combination of a character representation and an optical assembly which will be able to display a virtual image of what the character is thinking or to provide an image of its spirit or soul. More particularly, there exists a need in the art for a character represented by a doll that incorporates an optical assembly to display an image related to the doll&#39;s character. Furthermore, there exists a need in the art for a character depicted on a package, such as a candy or a jewelry box, that also includes an optical assembly to display an image related to the character. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the main object of this invention to provide a character that is constructed in combination with an optical assembly which will provide a holographic, three dimensional virtual image floating around the character. The image allows the viewer to see the character&#39;s soul or spirit to see whatever is on his/her mind. 
     It is another object of this invention to incorporate such a character and corresponding optical assembly within an outer housing such as a doll so that the optical assembly will project an image over the doll. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a packaging or outer housing, such as a jewelry box or a candy box, wherein a character is displayed on the lid of the box and an optical assembly is provided to project a three dimensional image above the character. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides for a display device for displaying a character having a virtual image wherein the display device comprises an outer housing having a hole formed therein, the outer housing being used to depict a character and an optical assembly including a first concave mirror, a second concave mirror facing the first concave mirror, one of the mirrors being provided with an aperture aligned with a hole in the outer housing and the other mirror supporting an object representative of what the character is thinking. With this construction, the object will appear to float above the character in an attractive fashion. 
     For example, in one preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer housing is in the form of a doll. The optical assembly actually makes up the major structural component of the doll&#39;s head and body and the aperture in the optical assembly is aligned with the doll&#39;s mouth. Additionally appendages such as legs and arms are attached to the doll&#39;s torso. Optionally, the arms and legs may be attached using a wire frame type construction. Finally, the doll may be dressed as dolls are typically dressed to give the desired aesthetic appearance. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the outer housing is in the form of a box such as that used to ship candies. Preferably the box exhibits a heart shaped construction and the optical assembly is mounted therein. A lid with a hole is also provided over the box and, when used to close the box, the hole in the lid is aligned with an aperture in the optical assembly. A depiction of a character is provided on top of the lid so that the hole is strategically placed within the character in order to enable the optical assembly to produce an image indicative of what the character is thinking or representative of its soul or spirit. 
     In yet another embodiment of the invention, the outer housing may be in the form of a box having numerous drawers or storage compartments for various small items such as jewelry. The top of the jewelry box may support a depiction of a character and also have a hole located therein. The optical assembly will be mounted just below the top surface of the jewelry box so as to be able to project an image above the character. 
     Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof, when taken in connection with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display device incorporating both an outer housing in the form of a doll and, in addition, an optical assembly according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the lines  2 — 2  in FIG. 1 of the display device of the first preferred embodiment according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the optical assembly and an attached wire frame showing the first steps in constructing the display device according to the first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the display device being constructed according to the first preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of various pre-assembled parts of the display device according to the first preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the display device wherein the outer housing is in the form of a box incorporating a character according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the display device in FIG. 6 having been opened according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the display device shown in FIG. 6 taken along the line  8 — 8 ; and 
     FIG. 9 is a display device wherein the outer housing is in the form of a jewelry box according to a third preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With initial reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a display device having an outer housing  5  in the form of a doll is generally indicated at  10  in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. Inside the doll  10  is shown an optical assembly  20 . The doll  10 , illustrated here as a belly dancer, is provided with a body  25 , comprised of a torso  30  and a head  26 . The head  26  is shown at the top of FIG.  1  and includes a face  32  having eyes  35 ,  36 , a nose  42 , hair  43  and ears  44  and  45 . Also provided is a mouth  54 , which is formed essentially by a circular hole  55  so that the optical assembly  20  can be seen therethrough. Each of the features of the doll&#39;s face  32  may be made from conventional materials. Additionally, each feature may be painted or colored with different pigments as desired. Such materials and techniques are well known in the art of doll making and will not be repeated here. As an example, the doll&#39;s hair  43  might be painted black and lips  56  red while its ears  44 ,  45  may be adorned with ear rings  57 ,  58 . 
     A critical feature as far as this invention goes in regards to the doll  10  is that, as mentioned above, a hole  55  be formed in order to allow someone to see an image created by the optical assembly  20  located therein. Preferably, the hole  55  is the doll&#39;s mouth  54  and the optical assembly  20  is set up to display an image representing what the doll  10  is thinking. The doll&#39;s torso  30 , arms  27 ,  28 , and legs  66 ,  68  can be made with the usual fabric over stuffing construction found in many dolls. Additionally, various clothing  60  may be put on the doll  10  and those shown here are merely typical examples. Arms  27 ,  28  may be attached to the torso  30  and, respectively, hands  62  and  64  may be attached to the arms  27 ,  28 . Once again, these appendages may be adorned as necessary. For example, the fingers on each hand  62 ,  64  could be painted or the doll  10  could be provided with jewelry. Finally, the doll&#39;s legs  66  and  68  are also attached to the torso  30  and the respective feet  72  and  73  are attached thereto. The doll  10  may also be provided with additional clothing such as trousers  74  and shoes  75 ,  76 . Once again, it should be noted that numerous different types of clothing can be placed on the doll  10  without generally drifting from the scope of the invention. 
     Turning now to FIG. 2 there is shown a cross sectional view of the doll  10  of FIG. 1 taken along the lines  2 — 2 . The optical assembly  20  can clearly be seen within the torso  30  of the doll  10 . The optical assembly  20  is constructed from a pair of concave mirrors,  80  and  81 . A first concave mirror  80  having a first reflecting surface is formed as a surface revolution around an optical axis “A”. A second concave mirror  81  having a second reflecting surface is also formed as a surface of revolution around optical axis “A”. This second concave mirror  81  faces the first concave mirror  80  and is preferably attached thereto at its outer periphery thus forming an internal cavity  85 . While the first concave mirror  80  has a continuous reflective surface the second concave mirror  81  is formed with an aperture  86  at its center. Disposed near the reflective surface of the first concave mirror  80  at a first location within the internal cavity  85  there is an object  87  shown as a circle in FIG.  2 . In operation, light rays  84  will emanate from the object  87  generally along the lines indicated in FIG.  2 . These light rays  84  will reflect off of the second mirror  81  and back towards the first mirror  80  and finally converge at a second location where an image  90  is formed in the aperture  86  or just above the aperture  86  of the mirror  81  for viewing. The result is that an image  90  is formed from the object  87  and it appears to float above the doll  10 . Ideally, the object  87  is some type of item, which will represent the thoughts or feelings of the doll  10 . For example, using candy or food may indicate that the doll  10  is hungry, although numerous different objects  87  may be used and still be within the scope of this invention. The object  87  must only be related in some way to the character. It need not necessarily be representative of the characters thoughts or feelings. The actual location of the object  87  can also be adjusted which will result in a change of the location of the image  90 . The details of optics in such a display assembly can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,284, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     Mounted to the optical assembly  20  as shown in FIGS. 3-5 there is a wire frame  95 . The wire frame  95  allows the doll  10  to be placed and stay in any of various possible positions such as moving the arms  27 ,  28  outwardly or bending the legs  66 ,  68 . However, these wires are not necessary and the doll  10  could simply be made of stuffing  100  with a covering  105  and still fall within the scope of this invention. 
     Construction of the invention and more particularly of the preferred embodiment of a doll  10  begins with an optical assembly  20 . Such an assembly  20  may be purchased from a manufacturer such as the one ALPI International distributes under the name “Magic Levitation Chamber”. Such an optical assembly  20  can be seen clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3. Initially, an object  87  is placed at a first location near the center of the mirror  80  without an aperture, and then the two mirrors  80 ,  81  are preferably permanently sealed together at their mating outer periphery with glue. With this configuration, a three-dimensional reflection image  90  appears to hover at a second location over the aperture  86  in the optical assembly  20 . By gluing the two halves  80 ,  81  of the optical assembly together, this creates a major structural element for the doll  10  which eventually becomes the base for the doll&#39;s head  26  and torso  30 . 
     In order to make the doll  10  into a posable figure, the wire frame structure  95  is added to the optical assembly  20  as shown in FIG.  3 . The wire frame  95  has four strips  111 ,  112 ,  113 ,  114  extending into four different directions. Two of these strips  111 ,  112  support the doll&#39;s arms  27 ,  28  while two of the strips  113 ,  114  support the doll&#39;s legs  66 ,  68 . The wire is somewhat flexible and can be bent to a desired shape to eventually allow the doll  10  to be posable in any desired configuration. As shown in FIG. 4 after the wire frame  95  is attached to the optical assembly  20 , stuffing  100  and a covering  105  may be placed over the optical assembly  20  and wire frame  95  to form the outer housing  105  and to shape the body  25  to desired portions. The non-posable figures would be similar except they do not contain the wire frame  95 , rather the optical assembly is  20  is just covered with a fabric  105  and then stuffed  100  and finally the covering  105  is stitched in place. Alternatively, the doll could be constructed of other materials, such as plastic or vinyl. In any event, a hole  55  is left open for the image  90  to be seen clearly outside the doll  10 . Finally, the various arms  27 ,  28 , legs  66 ,  68 , hands  62 ,  64  and feet  72 ,  73  along with the head  26  are formed to a desired shape, decorated accordingly, then attached to the body  25  of the doll  10  in their appropriate spots. 
     Once the doll  10  is fully manufactured, it can then be costumed with various types of clothing  60 . For example, clothing  60  could be provided for a bridal doll, a slumber party doll and a diva doll. The clothing  60  and the object  87  located within the optical assembly  20  would correlate with the general theme of each doll  10 . It should be noted that dolls need not be characters that are human but could also be animals, for example, a dog. Once again, a decoration of the doll  10  should correspond to the general theme of that doll  10  as should the image  90  produced by the respective optical assembly  20 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 6-8 there is shown a second preferred embodiment of the invention wherein an outer housing  125  is in the form of a box or package  130  incorporating an optical assembly  20 . A character is depicted on the cover  155  of the box  130  and the optical assembly  20  provides a floating image  90  of something related to the character. Specifically, FIG. 6 shows a heart shaped base  150  having a corresponding heart shaped cover  155  mounted thereon. The base  150  and cover  155  form an outer housing  125 . The cover  155  provides a surface for depicting the character. Preferably, the center of the character&#39;s mouth is aligned with a hole  160  formed in the cover  155  and beneath the hole  160  there is disposed the optical assembly  20 . As with the previous embodiment, an image  90  is provided and it appears to float above the character. It should be noted that the hole  160  does not necessarily coincide with the mouth of the character. It is only important that the image  90  be related to the character and it need not be located in the character&#39;s mouth. 
     Turning now to FIG. 7, the box  130  having a base  150  and a cover  155  is shown in an open configuration. The optical assembly  20  is mounted within box  130 . Again, the image  90  is provided to project through the hole  160  located in the cover  155 . Note also a storage area  180  is present to provide room for various items such as candies or jewelry. 
     Turning now to FIG. 8 there is shown a cut-away view of the box  130  depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7. Here the mounting device  170  is clearly shown supporting the optical assembly  20 , holding it in place. Platform  120  may be added as required to adjust for the height of the optical assembly  20 . The optical assembly  20  in the second preferred embodiment is identical to the optical assembly  20  of the first preferred embodiment and thus will not be described again. 
     Referring now to FIG. 9 there is shown a third preferred embodiment of the invention wherein the optical assembly  20  is mounted within an outer housing  190  or a jewelry box  200 . Note that a top  201  of a jewelry box  200  provides a surface wherein a character may be depicted. Once again the center of the character&#39;s mouth preferably, but not necessarily, will align with the aperture  86  of the optical assembly  20  shown in hidden lines in FIG.  9 . Also, as with the two other preferred embodiments, image  90  represents the character&#39;s thoughts or its spirit or soul. The box  200  itself has a side  202 , a front  203 , which can be clearly seen, along with a second side (not shown) and a back (not shown). It is generally of a rectangular prismatic shape. Two drawers are provided ( 210 ,  220 ) each with a storage area for various items such as jewelry or other small valuables. The optical assembly  20  functions similarly to the first preferred embodiment and will not be described again. 
     Although described with respect to the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Therefore, the specific embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive. Instead, the invention is only intended to be limited to the scope of the following claims.