Abstract:
In a printed publication such as a book, an inflatable 3-D object is mounted by an attachment device in an opening in the printed publication. The inflatable object relates to the content of the printed publication and is adapted for relative movement to the printed publication. For storage purposes, a container is dimensionally sized to fit in the opening and to contain the inflatable object once deflated.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to printed publications and the like. More particularly, it relates to a book or other publication having implanted therein a 3-D object such as an inflatable object relating to the content of the book or publication.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Background Art  
         [0004]     There are various books on the market that include objects to make it easier to understand and comprehend the book to which they are attached.  
         [0005]     Spanish Utility Model No. 131856, in the name of Mr. Jose Luis Gutierrez Diez is known, from 1967, relating to a didactic-educational device for children, which is characterized by the arrangement, that may or not form part of a book, of one or several sheets containing complete graphic illustrations, but without any details or parts, as well as the arrangement of other sheets which, in the same case, have a series of figures-transfers on a transparent surface that can be transferred on to the figure in the aforementioned illustration by covering those spaces that are considered the most suitable according to the subject or representation, whereby the cover sheet can position the figure on the whole first so that its effect can be observed, before rubbing the back so that the figure in question is transferred to the illustration sheet by means of paraffin-covered paper that protects the figures on the support sheet.  
         [0006]     Also European Patent No. 0832674, from 1997, is known, and its equivalent U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,199, in the name of READERS DIGEST CHILDREN&#39;S PUBLISHING, INC., which relates to a book in which one or more covers or pages are bound using a binding method that is adapted to receive a tube and a play figure which extends in a removable fashion inside the tube. The play figure has a top part and a hook element. An activity device is also supplied with the book. The activity device is activated so that the play figure is extended within the tube, using the bottom part of the play figure. A musical device could be provided inside the tube to produce a sound for a certain length of time after the activity device has been activated.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     This utility model is the result of research conducted by the inventors in the field of education and bibliography, in an attempt to combine in one and the same book or publication, and also in a permanently visible fashion, various elements that are essential for understanding the book or publication.  
         [0008]     Everybody will admit that when reading a history or geography book or publication, for example, it is very useful to have a globe nearby so as to identify the country or continent in question that is referenced in the text.  
         [0009]     It is also known that, on occasions, when reading a book or publication on anatomy, it is necessary to have an anatomy manual or atlas nearby so as to identify each part of the body as per the contents in the volume being read.  
         [0010]     The inventors considered the case in which the globe, atlas or manual is not available at that moment, and so the actual book or publication must provide the information, either at the end of the book or publication, or by means of an appendix.  
         [0011]     Both solutions are awkward, as they distract from reading, and if we consider this occurring with younger readers, a small distraction can lead to a lack of concentration on reading and the excuse or reason given for stopping to read the book or publication at that moment.  
         [0012]     Therefore, the inventors have developed a new printed publication such as a book or other publication that solves the aforementioned problems, as it is the actual book or publication that contains the globe, atlas or graphical element in a way that it is permanently visible, and therefore it is not necessary to stop concentrating on the book or publication, as the information the reader may require is on view at all times.  
         [0013]     Furthermore, children can consider this to be an entertaining toy, with the printed publication becoming much more interesting to read, as without realizing it, children are receiving information visually from a rotationally mounted inflatable object in the printed publication.  
         [0014]     An object of this invention is a printed publication with an inflatable 3-D object. The printed publication has a front cover, at least one leaf and a back cover arranged in an orderly fashion and joined on one side thereof by a spine. At least one of the front cover, the at least one leaf and the back cover defines an opening. An attachment device is provided for positioning the inflatable object in the opening. The inflatable object relates to the content of the printed publication.  
         [0015]     The inflatable element can be removable and therefore, after being used, it can be kept in a box or container suitably sized to fit in the opening in the printed publication, and in this way the printed publication is completely uniform and the box or container does not protrude from it.  
         [0016]     The simplicity and adaptability of this invention, as well as its versatility, together with the visual effect it has on the reader, exploit this invention to the full.  
         [0017]     The invention will be fully understood when reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     Drawings are attached to this specification to facilitate the explanation thereof, which illustrate a practical embodiment that is referenced merely as a non-limiting example of the scope of the invention, in which:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the printed publication of this invention in an open condition with the inflatable object inflated and installed;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the printed publication of this invention in an open condition with the object removed;  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the printed publication closed with the box or container housing the inflatable object installed;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the printed publication opened with the box or container housing the inflatable object installed;  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the printed publication opened with the box or container housing the inflatable object being removed;  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the box or container opened and the inflatable object being removed;  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the inflatable object;  
         [0026]      FIG. 8  is a front view of the printed publication of this invention in an open condition with the inflatable object inflated and installed;  
         [0027]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the valve of the inflatable object;  
         [0028]      FIG. 10  is a front view of a portion of the printed publication and inflatable object with portions broken away and in cross-section to show the valve of the inflatable object being engaged by a lug for removably and rotationally positioning the inflatable object in the opening of the printed publication;  
         [0029]      FIG. 11  is a front view of a portion of the printed publication and inflatable object with portions broken away and in cross-section to show the recess of the inflatable object being engaged by a lug for removably and rotationally positioning the inflatable object in the opening of the printed publication;  
         [0030]      FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view taken along the  12 - 12  line of  FIG. 11 ; and  
         [0031]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the printed publication of this invention in an closed condition with two inflatable objects inflated and installed.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0032]     Turning first to  FIG. 1 , therein is illustrated a book or other printed publication  10  with a front cover  12 , one or more leaves  14  and a back cover  16 . The printed publication  10  is ideally a board book made from heavy cardboard material. The front cover  12 , leaves  14  and back cover  16  are arranged in an orderly fashion, joined on one side thereof by a spine  18  and define an opening or cavity  20  ( FIG. 2 ).  
         [0033]     The opening  20  in this particular embodiment has been defined through and along the spine  18  of the printed publication  10  which separates the spine  18  into two portions. The opening  20  is semicircular when the printed publication  10  is closed (see  FIG. 3 ), with the diameter of the semicircle lying on the extension of the spine  18  of the printed publication  10 .  
         [0034]     An attachment device generally indicated by the numeral  22  is provide for positioning an inflatable object  24  in the opening  20 . The attachment device  22  is a pair of oppositely arranged lugs  26  which have flanges  28  which are captured within one of the front cover  12 , leaves  14  and back cover  16  of the printed publication  10 . See  FIGS. 2 and 8 - 12 .  
         [0035]     The inflatable object  24  is positioned in the opening by the attachment device  22  and relates to the content of the printed publication. For example, the inflatable object  24  can be in the form of a globe if the printed publication is a geography book or publication. The inflatable object  24  has recesses  30 ,  32  ( FIGS. 9-11 ) therein which are engaged by the pair of oppositely arranged lugs  26  for removably and rotationally positioning the inflatable object  24  in the opening  20 . The recess  30  is defined in a molded plastic valve  34  of the inflatable object  24  while the other recess  32  is defined in a molded plastic surface portion  36  of inflatable object  24  diametrically opposite the valve  34 . The valve  34  is used to inflate and deflate the inflatable object  24  in the same manner as an inflatable beach ball. The inflatable object  24  is made from a plastic vinyl type material which can be printed upon.  
         [0036]     To contain and store the inflatable object  24  when not in use, a container  38  ( FIGS. 3-6 ) is provide preferably formed from a thin, clear plastic sheet material. The container  38  is dimensionally sized to accommodate the inflatable object  24  when deflated. To fit in the opening  20 , the container  38  includes indented portions  40  to avoid interference with the lugs  26 . As best seen in  FIG. 6 , the container  38  has a lid  42  and a container shell  44  which has a flange  46  thereon. The flange  46  and the lid  42  are provided with mating cutouts  48  and oval openings  50  which interlock to hold the lid  42  in a closed position on the container  38 . The flange  46  and lid  42  are designed to extend between at least two of the front cover  12 , leaves  14  and back cover  16  to retain the container  44  therebetween when the printed publication  10  is in a closed position.  
         [0037]     When the printed publication  10  is first purchased, it comes in its closed position as shown in  FIG. 3  with the container  44  having the deflated inflatable object  24  therewithin. As shown In  FIG. 4 , the flange  46  and lid  42  of the container  44  extend between at least two of the front cover  12 , leaves  14  and back cover  16  retaining the container  44  therebetween and in the opening  20 .  
         [0038]     To utilize the inflatable object  24 , the user would open the printed publication  10  ( FIG. 4 ), remove the container  44  from the printed publication  10  ( FIG. 5 ) and remove the deflated inflatable object  24  from the container  44  ( FIG. 6 ). The user would unfold the inflatable object  24  as shown in  FIG. 7 , then blow air into the valve  34  to inflate the inflatable object  24  and rotatably mount the inflatable object  24  in the opening between the two lugs  26  using the recesses  30 ,  32  ( FIGS. 1, 8  and  10 - 11 ). The user can then open the printed publication  10  and view the various pages on the leaves  14  which have certain content relating to the inflatable object  24 . For example, supposing that the printed publication  10  is a geography book or publication, if the user does not know the location of a certain country or continent, the user only needs to look on the rotatable inflatable object  24 , which would be a globe, and which is always visible from any page, so that the user can continue concentrating on reading the printed publication  10 .  
         [0039]     Once the user has finished reading the printed publication  10 , the user only has to release the inflatable object  24  from the lugs  26 , deflate the inflatable object  24  using the valve  34  and return it to container  38  so that subsequently the container  38  can be repositioned inside the printed publication  10 .  
         [0040]     In this embodiment example, the inflatable object  24  is removable, although it can be designed to be non-removable and without the container  38  according to requirements. In this particular embodiment, the opening  20  is in the center of the printed publication  10 , although it could be in any other part of the book or publication and perform its function perfectly.  
         [0041]     As shown in  FIG. 13 , the essence of this invention would not be altered if the printed publication  10 A were to have two or more openings  20 A,  20 B with respective attachment means  22 A,  22 B and inflatable objects  24 A,  24 B, since including more than one inflatable object in every book or publication only depends on the size of the book or publication and the inflatable object.  
         [0042]     This invention describes a new and novel book or publication with a 3-D inflatable object. It is believed that the many advantages of this invention will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. It will also be apparent that a number of variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the foregoing description is to be construed as illustrative only, rather than limiting. This invention is limited only by the scope of the following claims.