Abstract:
The invention relates to an information carrying device. The information carrying device comprises a device body formed by a puzzle, which can be folded into a plurality of different shapes, wherein the information carrying device further includes a USB storage unit, which can be hidden and thus is invisible from outside when the puzzle is in a first shape, and can be revealed and is ready to interface with an information reader when the puzzle is in a second shape.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention generally relates to an information carrying device, and more specifically, to an information carrying device including a puzzle. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    Puzzle is a kind of popular intelligence toy designed to challenge the user and provide entertainment as well. It can be manipulated by hands of the user so as to display different shapes. Puzzle is popular in both children and adults because it encourages logical thinking, develops spatial relationships, facilitates fine motor skills and provides pure fun. Therefore, each year a lot of puzzles are purchased by people or presented as gifts. 
         [0003]    Recently, puzzle is designed as an advertising article by being labeled or printed with advertising information such as text or images on its outer surfaces that can be exposed during folding and shape changing. As puzzle is changing its shape, different texts or images or their combinations will be presented to the user. The changing shapes with different pieces of text or images will give the user a vivid impression and convey different types of advertising information. Therefore, using puzzle as an advertising article makes a success in business. 
         [0004]    However, since the area of the outer surfaces of a puzzle that can be exposed during folding and shape changing is limited, the information conveyed by the puzzle is restrained accordingly. 
         [0005]    USB storage units or USB-sticks are well-known portable information carrying devices. These USB storage units are usually delicate in their designs, generally including a body and a separate cover to protect the contact of the USB storage units. 
         [0006]    When not in use, the cover is positioned on the body to cover the contact of USB storage devices. And when the cover is removed, the contact of the USB storage devices will be exposed so that the contact can be inserted to its corresponding information reader to access the information stored therein. Nonetheless, in practice, because of their delicate designs, the covers and sometimes even the USB-sticks tend to be lost easily. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The invention aims to provide an information carrying device including a puzzle, which can provide a huge amount of information in a variety of formats. 
         [0008]    According to the invention an information carrying device is provided. The information carrying device comprises a device body formed by a puzzle, which can be folded into a plurality of different shapes, wherein the information carrying device further includes a USB storage unit, which can be hidden and thus is invisible from outside when the puzzle is in a first shape, and can be revealed and is ready to interface with an information reader when the puzzle is in a second shape. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment, the puzzle is labeled or printed with advertising information. In another embodiment, the USB storage unit contains multimedia information for advertising. 
         [0010]    Preferably, the USB storage unit can be revealed in more than one changed shapes of the puzzle. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the puzzle includes a plurality of portions connected with each other by folding lines. Further, the puzzle includes a plurality of cutting lines, which, together with the folding lines, enables the puzzle to be turned into different shapes. 
         [0012]    With the information carrying device according to the invention, the user can read some information in each folded shape of the puzzle. At the same time, when the puzzle is in the second shape, the contact of the USB storage unit is exposed and can be read by an information reader. Therefore, in addition to the information labeled or printed on the surfaces of the puzzle, the user can further obtain lots of additional information, in particular multimedia information, contained in the USB storage unit. Obviously, this can help the user know more about the advertisement. 
         [0013]    In addition, since the USB storage unit is provided within the puzzle, when the puzzle is in its first shape, said USB storage unit is hidden. And this enables the cover for protecting the contact to be spared so that the structure of the USB storage unit can be simplified and the cost for its manufacturing is thus reduced. Further, because the average user will be inclined to play with the puzzle, he or she will become emotionally attached to the puzzle and, consequently, the chance that the puzzle and therewith the USB storage unit will get lost may be reduced. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention will be better understood when read in conjunction with the attached drawings, which are given for the purpose of illustrating the invention merely. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings: 
           [0015]      FIGS. 1A to 1C  respectively show the first shape, the second shape and the third shape of a preferred embodiment of the information carrying device according to the present invention in perspective view. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 2A to 2D , in plan view respectively, show the information carrying device of  FIG. 1A  in its first shape. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 3A and 3B , in plan view respectively, show the information carrying device of  FIG. 1A  in its second shape, in which the contact of the USB storage unit is exposed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    In the following, the information carrying device according to the invention will be discussed in details with reference to the attached drawings. 
         [0019]      FIGS. 1 to 3  show the information carrying device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. According to the embodiment of the invention, the information carrying device, generally designated with reference number “ 1 ”, is cuboid-shaped. As shown in  FIG. 1A , the information carrying device  1  is in its original shape, i.e., a first shape. 
         [0020]    The information carrying device I includes a device body, which is in a form of puzzle  10 . The puzzle  10  is cuboid-shaped in its first shape. As a non-limiting example, the puzzle  10  is a cuboid of 86 (L)mm×55 (W)mm×12.5 (H)mm. One skilled in the art can understand that this particular size of the puzzle  10  can be determined as needed. 
         [0021]    The surfaces of the puzzle  10  are labeled or printed with different pieces of text or images thereon, as shown in  FIGS. 1A to 1C . For example, the surfaces of the puzzle  10  are provided with certain pieces of text or images through offset printing to convey the advertising information to the user. 
         [0022]    As shown in the top view of the puzzle  10  of  FIG. 2A , on the top surface (i.e. the upper surface printed with images in  FIG. 1A ) of the puzzle  10  there are two horizontal folding lines  20 ,  22 , which are arranged at a distance of, say, slightly less than W/4 from the two horizontal edges of the puzzle respectively, and a vertical cutting line  24 , which is centrally arranged. 
         [0023]    Moreover, as shown in the bottom view of the puzzle  10  of  FIG. 2C , on the bottom surface of the puzzle  10  there are two vertical folding lines  30 ,  32 , which are arranged at a distance of, say, slightly less than L/4 from the two vertical edges of the puzzle respectively, and a horizontal cutting line  34 , which is centrally arranged. 
         [0024]    In addition, as shown in the side views of  FIGS. 2B and 2D , on the side surfaces of the puzzle  10  there are some additional cutting lines  40 - 45 . With all of these cutting lines  24 ,  34 ,  40 - 45 , the puzzle  10  is divided into several portions linked with each other through the folding lines. By means of these folding lines and the cutting lines as well, the puzzle  10  can be changed into several shapes. 
         [0025]    The information carrying device  1  further includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) storage unit  50 , which is hidden and invisible from outside when the puzzle is in a first shape, as shown in  FIG. 1A . The body of the USB storage unit  50  is inserted into and integrated with the puzzle  10 , and the contact  55  of the USB storage unit  50  is received within a recess  56 , which is open at the cutting line  24 . 
         [0026]    Next, the different shapes of the information carrying device  1  will be discussed with reference to the drawings. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 2D , the puzzle  10  is divided into three portions, i.e. a left portion  110 , a middle portion  111  and a right portion  112 , by the two vertical folding lines  30 ,  32 , which are shown as two points in  FIG. 2B , and four cutting lines  40 ,  41 ,  42 ,  24 . When the user folds the left portion  110  and the right portion  112  about the vertical folding lines  30 ,  32  in the directions of arrows A 1 , A 2  respectively until the bottom surfaces of the left portion  110  and a right portion  112  come into contact with the bottom surface of the middle portion  111 , the puzzle  10  will be turned into a second shape.  FIGS. 1B ,  3 A and  3 B show the puzzle  10  in its second shape, where the cutting line  24  forms the outermost edge of the deformed puzzle. 
         [0028]    As the puzzle  10  turns into its second shape, some of its surfaces that are hidden in the first shape are now exposed. Consequently, the user can read and acquire the information labeled or printed on these surfaces hidden in the first shape but now exposed in the second shape. At the same time, the contact  55  of the USB storage unit  50  is released from the recess  56 , and thus can be ready for use. Now, the user can insert the contact  55  into an information reader, such as a computer, a mobile phone or an MP4 player, and access the huge amount of information stored in the USB storage unit  50 . 
         [0029]    Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 2B , the puzzle  10  is also divided into three portions, i.e. a top portion  120 , a middle portion  121  and a bottom portion  122 , by the two horizontal folding lines  20 ,  22 , which are shown as two points in  FIG. 2B , and four cutting lines  43 ,  44 ,  45 ,  34 . When the user folds the top portion  120  and the bottom portion  122  about the horizontal folding lines  20 ,  22  in the directions of arrows B 1 , B 2  respectively until the bottom surfaces of the top portion  120  and the bottom portion  122  come into contact with the bottom surface of the middle portion  121 , the puzzle  10  will be turned into a third shape. 
         [0030]      FIG. 1C  shows the puzzle  10  in its third shape, where the cutting line  34  forms the outermost edge of the deformed puzzle. Some of its other surfaces that are hidden in the first shape are now exposed. Consequently, the user can read and acquire the information labeled or printed on these surfaces hidden before but now exposed. 
         [0031]    Although the contact  55  of the USB storage unit  50  is visible, it is still in the recess  56  and can not be ready for use now. In order to access the USB storage unit  50 , the user may further fold the puzzle about the folding lines  30 ,  32  until the puzzle  10  turns into a fourth shape (not shown). In this case, the cutting line  24  again forms the outermost edge of the deformed puzzle, and the contact  55  is exposed and ready for use. 
         [0032]    It is understood by one skilled in the art that the original shape of the puzzle is not limited to a cuboid shape; or rather, other shapes such as cylindrical, conical or prismatic can be also used. Meanwhile, the detailed structure of the puzzle and the particular position of the USB storage unit  50  in the puzzle are not essential to the invention. They can be freely selected as needed. 
         [0033]    It is recognized by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to the above-described embodiment of the invention without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is therefore understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but is intended to cover all modifications which are in the spirit and scope of the invention.